Regardless of sacking AlphaTauri rookie Nyck de Vries this week, Purple Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko nonetheless believes that De Vries has a future in racing.
Maybe, nevertheless, not in System 1.
Talking with Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, the Purple Bull advisor outlined the reasoning behind the shock transfer to interchange De Vries with present reserve Daniel Ricciardo for subsequent week’s Hungarian Grand Prix, moderately than ready till the summer season break.
“We needed to do one thing,” acknowledged Marko. “Why would we wait? And what does it matter if we saved him for 2 extra races whenever you don’t see any enhancements? Nyck is a very nice man, however the velocity simply wasn’t there.”
Marko outlined how the group saved tabs on De Vries, ready for enchancment from the 28-year-old driver. Enchancment that by no means actually got here. After Marko issued the well-documented “yellow card” to De Vries, the rookie responded along with his greatest end of the yr, a P12 on the Monaco Grand Prix.
However that turnaround lasted all of 1 race, and when Purple Bull checked out his season on the entire, the event was nowhere to be discovered.
“In April in Baku he began the weekend properly and I anticipated him to carry out higher, however then he crashed once more,” added Marko. Sadly he hasn’t pushed a single lap that amazed us.”
Purple Bull’s advisor then pointed to his standing as a rookie, pushing again on that notion. In spite of everything, De Vries is 28 years outdated, and introduced a ton of expertise to the cockpit at AlphaTauri. As such, Marko instructed, he couldn’t be evaluated as some other rookie.
Which is one thing the motive force himself needed.
“He’s 28 years outdated, has ample expertise and has had the chance to realize loads of data as a check driver in numerous System 1 vehicles. For my part he can’t be in comparison with a younger rookie,” mentioned Marko.
“Nyck was contracted as a result of he had a wonderful efficiency in Monza final yr. We anticipated that he could be at the least matching the efficiency of his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, however that wasn’t the case,” added the Purple Bull advisor. “He was three tenths of a second too gradual, repeatedly, and there was no enchancment.”
That response additionally factors to the notion that the change was made to get a clearer thought of simply how far Tsunoda has come as a driver. Tsunoda has fared significantly better than De Vries this season — out-qualifying him in seven of the ten races and scoring the one factors for the staff — however is {that a} issue of his development, or De Vries’ struggles?
This response from Marko additionally factors to that query: “It stays to be seen how Ricciardo will maintain up in opposition to Tsunoda. I believe Yuki is underestimated by lots of people. The AlphaTauri is a troublesome automotive to drive, however Yuki has confirmed that it’s doable to get good outcomes with it.”
As for why the change was made to Ricciardo — which is a suggestion Marko brushed apart just a few weeks in the past — the previous racer pointed to Ricciardo’s check session at Silverstone this week as a cause.
“His lap instances have been aggressive, on three completely different compounds,” Marko defined. “If Ricciardo wasn’t fast sufficient, we might have needed to do one thing else. However since AlphaTauri is final within the constructor standings, so we needed to result in one thing. And often a driver change does that. Ricciardo brings new power to the staff.”
One other suggestion within the media — together with from yours really — is that the transfer was made to perhapse put strain on Sergio Pérez. The present Purple Bull driver does sit second within the Drivers’ standings, however has not seen Q3 because the Miami Grand Prix initially of Might.
Marko brushed that apart as properly.
“Checo is second on the earth championship, so it could make no sense to do away with him now,” mentioned Marko. “His race at Silverstone was good, once more, however he wants to enhance in qualifying.”
Nevertheless, one can not assist however see that language “do away with him now” and ask: What about in 2024? Or past?
As for De Vries himself, Marko believes the now-deposed driver nonetheless has a future in racing.
Simply not, maybe, in F1.
“It’s going to be troublesome, however on the similar time I believe he noticed this coming,” mentioned Marko of a return to F1 for De Vries.
“I believe he can have an ideal profession in endurance racing,”
