On the eve of the Japanese Grand Prix, Scuderia AlphaTauri confirm the signing of Nyck de Vries to pair with Yuki Tsunoda for 2023.
Following weeks of speculation, the rumors proved true of Pierre Gasly leaving Scuderia AlphaTauri to become Fernando Alonso‘s replacement at BWT Alpine for 2023. As a result, who would replace the departing Frenchman in AlphaTauri’s second seat? Dutchman Nyck de Vries has gotten the call. After making his debut this past month in Monza, the 27-year-old will be making the rare move from the Mercedes family to the Red Bull / Honda family for his full-season debut in Formula 1.
Said the Dutchman in the official press release:
“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. 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 fulfill 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.”
Not a stranger to championships, the Dutchman captured the 2014 titles in both the Eurocup and Alps Formula 2.0 divisions. He continued that success by claiming the 2017 F2 Drivers’ Championship when he competed for ART Grand Prix. This was enough to impress Mercedes, who signed him as their reserve driver for Mercedes AMG-Petronas and Williams Grand Prix Engineering. While a race seat wasn’t available they sent him to compete for Mercedes-EQ in Formula E where he would eventually win the 2020-21 Driver’s Championship and the Teams’ Championship for both 2020-2021 and 2021-2022.
Proud ❤️ So pleased for you @nyckdevries! Excited to see you on the grid next year 😃
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) October 8, 2022
Said Scuderia Alpha-Tauri Team Principal Franz Tost:
“…(Scuderia AlphaTauri) 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 lineup for 2023.”
The Current Formula 1 Grid for 2023:
| Red Bull | Max Verstappen | Sergio Perez |
|---|---|---|
| Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | Carlos Sainz |
| Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | George Russell |
| Alpine | Esteban Ocon | Pierre Gasly |
| McLaren | Lando Norris | Oscar Piastri |
| Alfa Romeo | Valtteri Bottas | Zhou Guanyu |
| Haas | Kevin Magnussen | TBC |
| Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso | Lance Stroll |
| AlphaTauri | Yuki Tsunoda | Nyck de Vries |
| Williams | Alex Albon | TBC |
With the confirmations of both Nyck de Vries and Pierre Gasly’s move, the 2023 grid is nearly complete. The only two seats that remain open are the second seats at Haas and Williams. Will Daniel Ricciardo or Mick Schumacher be able to extend their F1 careers or is the series in store for a handful of rookie seasons?
