He was present at the Montreal Grand Prix last year, but Formula 1 driver Nyck de Vries will only be racing there for the first time this weekend.
The driver from Uitwellingerga got to know the circuit better in the simulator last week. “It’s an unusual track,” he says. The track in Montreal is a mix of street circuit and permanent circuit. ,, Special. If you look at the map, it looks simple, but it’s quite tricky.”
Most of the circuits where Formula 1 drivers race are increasingly getting the same safety standards, run-off areas, curbs and even infrastructure. ,,Canada is a circuit that is still unique and has its own character”, says the AlphaTauri driver.
He is looking forward to the race weekend. “Montreal is a great city and the fans are very welcoming.”
Optimistic
De Vries landed in Montreal in a good mood. For the races in Monaco and Barcelona, the pressure was on him. De Vries was not allowed to make any more mistakes, because otherwise he could lose his seat early. He succeeded in that assignment. ,,Monaco was a solid, clean weekend and in Barcelona we performed strongly all weekend.”
De Vries still sees plenty of room for improvement. It has to be, because despite the upward trend, the Twellegeaster has not yet scored any points. ,,The team has done a great job in recent races”, he says. “I see a clear upward trend as we get closer to the top ten.”
AlphaTauri has put a lot of time and work into further developing the car in recent weeks. De Vries feels that he can compete better. However, the midfield in Formula 1 is very close together. There’s more to it than just driving fast to score points. If luck is with you, the top 10 may just be within reach. “I will continue to focus on progress and work as I have been doing lately.”