Stoffel Vandoorne, former teammate of Nyck de Vries, has expressed confidence in the Dutch driver’s ability to resurrect his struggling motor racing career.
De Vries, a former Formula E champion who competed alongside Vandoorne at the Mercedes works team, was abruptly dropped by Red Bull’s AlphaTauri just ten races into his debut full season in Formula 1.
Reflecting on the situation, Vandoorne acknowledged that such circumstances are not uncommon in Formula 1.
Drawing from his own experience, where he faced challenges while partnered with Fernando Alonso at McLaren, the Belgian driver commented, “Unfortunately, it often happens a bit like that in F1. Either it can go very well, or it can go very badly.”
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Vandoorne expressed his belief that great things were expected from De Vries but attributed his struggles to the underperforming car, making it difficult for the Dutchman to showcase his skills.
He stated, “I think everyone expected to see great things from Nyck, but the car was not performing at all, so it’s very difficult to get noticed like that.
“Unfortunately, he had a very difficult time, and we also know how it goes with the Red Bull clan.
“It’s often like this.”
Despite the setback, Vandoorne maintained a positive outlook for De Vries, highlighting his character and talent.
He expressed confidence that De Vries would find another opportunity in motorsport to showcase his abilities, stating, “But Nyck is still a great guy, and I think he will find something else in motorsport.”
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De Vries has a strong track record in motorsport, with his success in Formula E, as well as having secured championships in Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, Formula Renault 2.0 Alps and FIA Formula 2 Championship.
Unfortunately for the Dutchman, he struggled to deliver in Formula 1, consistently finishing behind his teammate.
His season best performance was P12 at the Monaco Grand Prix, over a lap behind race winner Max Verstappen.