AlphaTauri’s Nick de Vries has insisted that he isn’t feeling pressure despite growing speculation about his future in Formula 1.
The rookie is yet to score a single point this season and has been involved in a number of mishaps across the first five races – colliding with Logan Sergeant in Melbourne, making contact with Lando Norris at the start of the Miami Grand Prix and crashing out twice in Azerbaijan.
These incidents, paired with his lack of pace against team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, has led to extensive speculation about his future in F1 and who might replace him despite only racing in a handful of rounds this season.
But Season 7 Formula E Champion de Vries is insistent that he isn’t feeling the pressure any more than he has in other championships.
“You might not believe me when I say that, but I honestly don’t think there’s more pressure than at any other time,” he affirmed.
“And actually, the only difference in Formula 1 is that you have a lot more noise around it, and especially when there is a bit of a gap, there is more kind of speculation and talking, and that’s probably the biggest difference relative to any other championship.
“But when it comes to the job, as I already mentioned earlier, everyone needs to do their job and perform. It’s honestly no different.”
De Vries was an F1 test and reserve driver for Mercedes prior to replacing Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri. A one-off appearance with Williams at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix, standing in for Alex Albon, put de Vries in the spotlight in what became a point-scoring F1 debut for the Dutchman.
At 28 years old, de Vries was expected to bring experience despite the ‘F1 rookie’ label but he has been lagging behind Tsunoda – and coupled with Red Bull junior Liam Lawson’s strong start in Super Formula, his position on the grid has been scrutinised.
“Well, ultimately if I do my job on-track, then I know that I will be able to continue my career forward successfully,” he said. “That’s always how I lived, and always how it’s been. Again, that’s the way it is.”
