“I am in talks with Williams and with Alpine. I will do a test with them in Budapest. And, as the media say, I met Helmut Marko in Austria”, reveals Nyck
“I don’t know if I’m in such a luxurious situation that I can choose. That is out of my control. Wherever I can find a seat, I’d be happy,” he admits.
Nyck de Vries has confirmed on the Dutch television program, Humberto op Zaterdag, that he is in negotiations with Alpine, AlphaTauri and Williams in search of a Formula 1 steering wheel for the 2023 season. The 27-year-old Dutch driver, champion of electric Formula E in 2021 and F2 in 2019, dazzled in his F1 debut at the Italian Grand Prix by scoring points with the Williams, after replacing Alex Alban, who had to undergo emergency surgery for appendicitis. His good performance, both in qualifying (Q2) and in the race (9th) relaunched his price.
Nyck was one of the favorites to accompany Albon at Williams next year, taking over from Nicholas Latifi, whose continuity on the F1 grid seems unlikely. But after meeting with Helmut Marko rumors have spread that place DeVries in AlphaTauri, while Pierre Gasly would go to Alpine to fill the vacancy of Fernando Alonso. Red Bull’s idea for its satellite line-up was to loan Gasly to the French team and make IndyCar talent Colton Herta debut at Alpha Tauri, but the Californian driver’s option has been dismissed knowing that the FIA would not make exceptions for him when granting the Superlicence.
DeVries not only has he confirmed his conversations with Marco, but also with the sports managers of Williams and Alpine. In fact, he will be in the test that the French brand has organized next week in Hungary to test several drivers before choosing.
“I have been in talks with Williams for a long time and I was also able to make my debut with them last weekend. This would be a logical step. I have also been in contact with Alpine since July, and I will test with them in Budapest next week. And As the media said, I went to Austria to meet Helmut Marko. These are the facts,” he explained. De Vries on Dutch television.
“I don’t know if I’m in such a luxurious situation that I can choose. To a large extent, that’s out of my control. Wherever I can find a seat, I’d be happy. We have to see how the next few days and weeks unfold. As I said, it’s not entirely under my control. In this world not everything is about performance, but now we have momentum and that makes a difference, although it doesn’t guarantee a seat. But we’re not that far away.” Nyck.