De Vries says yes to leading role within AlphaTauri: 'That shows character'

Nyck de Vries will make his debut in Formula 1 at AlphaTauri next year, driving alongside Yuki Tsunoda. According to former F1 driver Robert Doornbos, his compatriot is showing character by wanting to take on the leading role.

Alongside Tsunoda, De Vries will be the less experienced F1 driver in 2023, but over his entire career, De Vries may well emerge as the leader at AlphaTauri. De Vries won the title in Formula 2 and Formula E and, with his relatively high age for an F1 debut, does have the necessary experience in racing. In addition, Tsunoda shows fluctuating performances and sometimes struggles to control his aggression verbally.

'De Vries shows character'

At Ziggo Racecafé, the statements of team boss Franz Tost are discussed. Tost reportedly said that De Vries will be the team's leader next year. For his part, the Dutchman had agreed to this, much to Doornbos' delight: "[It's not just extra pressure], but it's also character; being team leader. It's not just speed. On the track, of course, you just have to let those lap times speak for themselves. In addition, it is also about how you run in such an organisation."

According to Doornbos, De Vries is the excellent person to carry a responsible role within the team: "Nyck is a driver who leaves the paddock last. I respect him because he does everything himself. He has no management, so he does the negotiations himself. That is also appreciated." Next year, De Vries will hand over some of the tasks he used to do himself to Pierre Gasly's former manager. The F1 season is his ultimate dream and therefore the Dutchman will want to devote all his time to racing.