Nyck de Vries reveals ‘double pressure’ after Marko’s ‘biggest mistake’ claim

Nyck de Vries spent just 10 races with AlphaTauri
Slated as his “biggest mistake” by Helmut Marko, Nyck de Vries felt “double pressure” during his brief AlphaTauri stint as he got it from both the team and the media.
Putting in a points-scoring drive at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix where he finished ninth with Williams, De Vries was snapped up by Red Bull’s junior team for the 2023 season.
Nyck de Vries: I wouldn’t say it feels like they’re attacking you, but…
His career though, lasted just 10 races as he failed to score points and found himself under the sharp end of Marko’s words when he crashed in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and then recorded a second crash in the race that hampered Red Bull team leader Max Verstappen.
Speculation that his days were numbered mounted before a P17 finish at the British Grand Prix spelled the end for him, the Dutchman replaced by Red Bull reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo.
De Vries returned to Formula E with Mahindra Racing with his racing career getting back on track in the series where he was crowned champion in the 2020/21 season.
“That was challenging,” De Vries admitted to the Cool Room podcast of his quick F1 exit. “I have no resentment either. I am grateful for the opportunity I was given. I have seen my childhood dream come true.
“It worked and it became a short chapter in my career.
“I was lucky that I already had a chance to build a career for Formula 1. Sometimes it happens that drivers are promoted to Formula 1, and then there is an early exit and they have nothing to fall back on. I had already driven in Formula E and WEC, so it made the step to those championships easier.”
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Marko has since gone on to call De Vries’ signing his “biggest mistake”.
The Red Bull motorsport advisor told Italian publication Autosprint: “My biggest mistake? That was undoubtedly Nyck de Vries.
“He did very well on his debut for Williams in Monza. He also had an incredible CV. He was Formula 2 champion and Formula E champion.
“But for us the stopwatch said that Nyck de Vries was the wrong choice.”
It’s criticism that De Vries became used to during his brief F1 stint where he says it was “double pressure” coming from inside from the team and also outside through the media.
“Of course you have the media and therefore the external pressure, but you also have the internal pressure,” he said. “Every team goes there differently. So you feel double pressure.
“Wherever you go, it always feels like they’re watching you. I wouldn’t say it feels like they’re attacking you, but you do feel that 24/7 about writing and talking about you.
“You move around in the paddock, in that ecosystem, and everyone knows about it, and you can’t run away from it. Even if you wanted to, there is no way to escape.
“I just tried to ignore it and not do much. I stopped with reading any news, but you still know a little bit that it is there.”
Bombarded almost from the get-go by rumours that his days were numbered, De Vries revealed that there was an element of relief when it was finally over.
“From the second weekend you heard those conversations. Every time you come to the track, you have to talking about it and that didn’t help me put in my best performance,” he said.
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