Nick de Vries participated in the AlphaTauri F1 private test and practiced on the old machine for the 2023 season.
F2 and Formula E champion and Mercedes F1 reserve driver Nick de Vries, who has participated in testing and multiple FP1s, has not been seriously considered as a full-time F1 seat candidate. I didn’t.
However, the situation changed completely at the F1 Italian GP. When he entered Williams F1 as a substitute for Alexander Albon, who suffered from appendicitis, he finished 9th in spite of the almost unsuccessful performance. He convinced Red Bull, who were looking to replace Pierre Gasly at Scuderia AlphaTauri.
Scuderia AlphaTauri started a private test on January 24th (Tuesday) at the Imola circuit in Italy using the old machine, with Yuki Tsunoda driving on the first day. On the following day, the 25th (Wednesday), Nick de Vries took the steering wheel of the 2021 F1 machine “AT02” with his car number 21. Scuderia AlphaTauri posted a video of De Vries driving on the wet track.
Regarding teammate Yuki Tsunoda, Nick de Vries said: “If I remember correctly, we first met in 2020. Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri held a marketing event at the Red Bull Ring. I was also participating in the ELMS (European Le Mans Series) at the Red Bull Ring on the same weekend, but it was just before the Monaco GP, so I decided to move to Monaco with Yuki. This was my first meeting with Yuki,” he recalls.
“We were on the same flight and spent time together in Monaco. As you all know, Yuki is a very fun person and we have kept in touch since then.”
Scuderia AlphaTauri will unveil a new livery of the 2023 F1 machine “AT04” on February 11th in New York.
Behind the scenes, the AT04 chassis has already passed the FIA’s mandatory crash tests and preparations are underway for pre-season testing from February 23rd to 25th.
Category: F1 / Nick de Vries / Alpha Tauri
