Nyck de Vries has expressed his determination to prove Helmut Marko wrong after the Red Bull advisor admitted that signing him for AlphaTauri may have been a mistake.
The Dutchman was brought in to replace Pierre Gasly, who departed for Alpine.
De Vries had caught the team’s attention with an impressive Formula 1 debut, filling in for Alex Albon at Monza last year.
However, it was revealed that De Vries was not the team’s initial choice.
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IndyCar racer Colton Herta had been approached, but the move was blocked by the FIA.
AlphaTauri chief Franz Tost, on the other hand, had preferred Mick Schumacher to fill Gasly’s seat.
Despite these differing opinions, De Vries was eventually selected to race alongside Yuki Tsunoda, as per Marko’s recommendation following their meeting after the standout Monza performance.
Marko recently admitted that Red Bull team principal Christian Horner disagreed with his choice of De Vries.
In an interview with the Inside Line podcast, Marko revealed: “Not often, but sometimes we do [disagree].
“The last one… I would say De Vries.
“Basically, it’s AlphaTauri, but we’re a big family and we get opinions.
“[Horner] was not a fan of De Vries. I would say at the moment it looks like he’s [Horner] right.”
Since assuming his first full-time Formula 1 seat, De Vries has encountered difficulties and has yet to score a point for AlphaTauri.
“In contrast, his teammate Tsunoda has consistently showcased impressive performances and has been among the standout stars of the season, regularly fighting for points.
During the media session ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, De Vries was questioned about Marko’s comments.
In response, he made it clear that his focus lies solely on proving his worth through his on-track performance.
“I think Dr. Marko would appreciate it if I proved him wrong on track,” De Vries affirmed.
“That’s all I feel about it and what’s within my control, so that’s it.”
When asked if the pressure is mounting with each passing race, the 28-year-old driver acknowledged the importance of maintaining composure.
“Yeah, but equally there is no need to force anything,” he stated.
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“I think whenever you are trying harder or trying to force something that is not kind of ready, then it won’t happen and then mistakes will happen.
“So, I think the key is to just continue as we are and continue to focus on the job, remain patient, and then I think the potential is there.
“So, it’s just a matter of trying for things to come together.”