Nyck de Vries will be a full-time Formula 1 driver for AlphaTauri in 2023, taking over from Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly and will join Yuki Tsunoda at the Red Bull sister team.
De Vries’ announcement followed Gasly’s confirmation at Alpine, and he secured his F1 seat following an excellent debut at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, filling in for an ill Alex Albon at Williams and earning points after a ninth-place finish.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining Scuderia AlphaTauri for 2023 and I want to thank both Red Bull and the team for giving me the opportunity to drive in F1,” de Vries said. “After Formula 2, I took a slightly different path with motorsport, but F1 has always been my dream and I’m grateful to be able to fulfil it.”
“I’ve had a lot of chances to experience the 2022 car this year and I think that has put me in a great position for the upcoming season, I hope this has helped to prepare me for what is to come.”
“Having spent most of my teenage years in Italy for karting, I’ve always felt at home there, so for me it’s great to be joining an Italian team, that already has a real family feel, and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and to start to build our relationship before the next season.”
De Vries is currently a Mercedes reserve driver and drove for the manufacturer last year and won the Formula E world championship.
AlphaTauri’s official statement read: “Scuderia AlphaTauri is pleased to announce that Nyck de Vries will join the team for the 2023 Formula 1 season, replacing Pierre Gasly who will leave at the end of the current season.”
“The 27-year-old Dutch driver begins his official F1 racing career with one Grand Prix already under his belt, following a stand-in appearance for Alex Albon at this year’s Italian Grand Prix. Additionally, he completed several FP1 sessions in 2022.”
“Dominating in other categories, Nyck has a number of titles already against his name; notably, he was the 2020-21 FIA Formula E World Champion and 2019 FIA Formula 2 Champion, as well as being the 2010 and 2011 Karting World Champion.”
Franz Tost, the boss of the AlphaTauri team, hailed Pierre Gasly for his role in the successful history of the Faenza-based team, which includes the Frenchman’s dramatic victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix. Tost stressed de Vries’ innate talent, though, and his worth in earning a full-time F1 seat.
“Scuderia AlphaTauri had a very successful time with Pierre. We will never forget his fantastic victory in Monza and his podium finishes in Brazil and Azerbaijan,” said the Austrian. “I want to thank Pierre for all the effort he’s put into the team in the last years, and I wish him all the best for his future.”
“Now, we are pleased to start a new chapter with Nyck, who’s very much welcome at Scuderia AlphaTauri. He is a very high skilled driver, as he won in all the categories he competed in, with many races and championships under his belt.”
“His last big success was winning the Formula E World Championship, and this is clear evidence that he is a very competitive driver, who deserves a seat in F1.”
“I am looking forward to seeing him in our car and I’m confident that with Yuki and Nyck we will have a very strong driver line up for 2023.”
