Nyck de Vries has secured a 2024 seat for the full World Endurance Championship(WEC) season with Toyota alongside his Formula E return.
Toyota has announced that former AlphaTauri F1 driver Nyck de Vries will take Jose Maria Lopez’s seat in the Japanese manufacturer’s Hypercar squad for the 2024 World Endurance Championship.
The Dutchman, who had previously secured a ride with AlphaTauri for 2023, would have been gearing up for his second Formula 1 season next year. However, Red Bull dismissed him after just ten races, during which he failed to earn a single point.
After taking a three-month hiatus from the public eye following his F1 axe, the former Formula E champion confirmed his comeback to the all-electric series in September. He’s now committed to the WEC season with Toyota.
De Vries will be sharing the number seven Toyota hypercar with former Formula 1 driver Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway.
Meanwhile, Brendon Hartley, Sebastien Buemi and Ryo Hirakawa are sticking around to drive the #8 Toyota for the coming year after winning the WEC title in Bahrain last month for the second time in a row.
“I am super excited to be returning to endurance racing, especially with Toyota Gazoo Racing,” said De Vries.
“Endurance racing is something that I have always enjoyed and it is a discipline with incredible momentum at the moment.
“I was with the team in a different role for a few years but never got the chance to race, so it is great that the time has now arrived, and I want to thank the team for their continuous support and faith in me.
“I am very much looking forward to sharing car number seven with both Mike and Kamui. They are both very talented drivers who achieved a lot, and I am sure we will make a great team.”
De Vries is making a full return to the WEC season for the first time since 2019 although he had initially intended to return to the series one year prior. Toyota had already intended to sign the Dutchman for this season, but he decided to embark on his F1 career after receiving an offer from AlphaTauri.
A lot was expected of the former Formula 2 champion after his spectacular Formula 1 debut at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix with Williams. However, he was unable to score a point and just after ten races, Red Bull dismissed him.
“Life is not a destination, it’s a journey,” De Vries added. “I think when you truly look at it from that perspective it also helps you to kind of reset and look forward.
“As I said, we’re here at the start of a new chapter, something I’m really excited about the project and the perspective it has, and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
