Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance of Nyck de Vries, raising questions about the Dutch driver’s future in the team.
As the Formula 1 season progresses, De Vries, alongside Williams driver Logan Sargeant, remains at the bottom of the world championship standings without any points, failing to meet the high pre-season expectations.
AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost had initially seen De Vries as a potential successor to lead his Italian racing stable, but the 28-year-old driver has yet to impress.
Facing increasing competition from junior driver Liam Lawson and the fan-favorite Daniel Ricciardo, De Vries is starting to feel the pressure.
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Speculation has arisen that De Vries would only have a few weeks to turn his performance around.
However, Marko dismissed such rumors, stating, “No specific time frame has been set.
“There are a lot of changes going on within AlphaTauri at the moment.
“We are now putting everything together, and when the time comes, we will make a decision.”
When asked if Daniel Ricciardo’s upcoming Pirelli tyre test, scheduled after the Silverstone Grand Prix, would influence the decision regarding De Vries, Marko provided an evasive response.
He hinted that if Ricciardo were to regain his old form, it could potentially open up the possibility of him replacing De Vries.
“I cannot say more than this, “Marko said.
“As I said, we will look at everything and then make a decision,” he concluded, leaving the door open for future changes.
Despite expressing his concerns, Marko did offer a slightly positive assessment of De Vries’ performance in Austria.
“I think this is one of the better rankings he has achieved,” Marko remarked.
However, he acknowledged that De Vries’ teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, appeared to be faster on the track, indicating that the Dutch driver still has room for improvement.
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The uncertainty surrounding Nyck de Vries’ future within the Red Bull ranks continues to grow.
With intense competition from both Liam Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo, the pressure is mounting for the 28-year-old driver to deliver stronger performances.
As AlphaTauri undergoes internal changes, the team’s management, along with Helmut Marko, will closely evaluate De Vries’ progress.