With 2019 Formula 2 Champion Nyck De Vries entering Formula 1 in 2023. Let’s look at his top five moments from his title-winning season.
Last Saturday, it was announced the 2019 Formula 2 Champion Nyck de Vries would be the latest driver to graduate to Formula 1. Driving for Alpha Tauri in 2023 he’ll be partnered alongside Japanese racer Yuki Tsunoda. Following the announcement, let’s take a look at five highlights from his championship year:
1. Pole & Win during the Monaco Grand Prix
With 2019 being de Vries’ third season in Formula 2, time was of the essence for the Dutchman to prove he could take the title. Having joined ART Grand Prix alongside Nikita Mazepin, De Vries had already shown great form by claiming victory in the Sprint Race at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Nyck de Vries was able to secure the pole by 0.248 seconds from rival Luca Ghitto. De Vries was able to maintain his position throughout the Feature Race, despite a red flag mid-way through the race, and earned himself 25 points for the victory – putting him one point behind championship leader Nicolas Latifi.
2. Feature Race win at Paul Ricard
The following weekend was the French Grand Prix at Le Castellet. Despite de Vries qualifying fourth for the Feature Race, he found himself leading at the end of Turn 1 on the opening lap.
De Vries managed to keep control of the lead and win by eight seconds over pole sitter Sergio Sette Camera. De Vries’ second consecutive Feature Race saw him take the championship lead from Latifi by twelve points.
Formula 2 races at Paul Ricard this weekend for the first time since 2019.
The winners that year were future Formula E world champion Nyck de Vries and the late Anthoine Hubert.
📷: @Formula2 pic.twitter.com/7Qix02BFCr
— Formula Scout (@FormulaScout) July 21, 2022
3. Double podium in Austria
Although de Vries earned the pole for the Feature Race, that lead wouldn’t last long as he dropped down to third behind Nobuharu Matsushita and Ghiotto. In the Sprint Race, De Vries started P6 and was able to climb his way up to third – while also taking the fastest lap. The points accumulated from Pole (4 points), Fastest lap (2 points), and two third places found De Vries extending his championship lead to thirty-seven points.
4. Another double podium in Monza
Having been disqualified from qualifying due to a fuel infringement, de Vries was on the back foot with Latifi qualifying sixth. However, Latifi wasn’t able to capitalize on his rival’s misfortune as he found himself finishing outside the points for both races.
With two third-place finishes in Monza, de Vries further extended his lead to fifty-nine points. With only two rounds of the championship remaining, De Vries looked untouchable as they headed to Sochi for the Russian Grand Prix.
5. Fourth and Final win in Sochi
With Sochi being the penultimate round of the 2019 season, de Vries could mathematically claim the title due to his hefty lead. With both rivals qualifying alongside each other (De Vries P1, Latifi P2) for the Feature Race, the pressure was on for de Vries to wrap up the championship before the finale in Abu Dhabi.
De Vries was able to climb his way from P8 to P2 during the Sprint Race, with Latifi finishing fourth. The Feature Race saw both drivers finish the race in their starting position. However, since De Vries was able to score forty-one points during the course of the weekend, he was able to claim the Championship by fifty-two points, taking four wins and twelve podiums that year.
De Vries has spent time this season in multiple F1 cars, and made his debut at the Italian Grand Prix in place of Alex Albon for Williams. It’s fair to say de Vries is entering next season with confidence, especially after finishing in the points on his debut. Whether or not he’ll be able to keep up with Yuki Tsunoda is another question. Next year de Vries finally gets his chance to prove himself in F1.
