Ex-F1 driver claims he was NEVER impressed by Nyck de Vries

Nyck de Vries

Ex-F1 driver claims he was NEVER impressed by De Vries

The rookie F1 driver was removed from the team mid-season in a clinical turn of events

Lauren Sneath

Saturday 5 August 2023 11:57

Former F1 driver Philippe Alliott has insisted that Nyck de Vries did not make enough of an impression in the sport to stay in the game, admitting that at no point was he ever impressed with a single lap from the Dutchman.

Alliott raced from 1984 to 1990 and then again from 1993 to 1994, including for McLaren. The best finish of his career was P5 at the 1993 San Marino Grand Prix.

De Vries’s F1 career was cut short after he was unceremoniously dumped from AlphaTauri after just 10 races.

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The Dutchman had previously won F2 and Formula E, but bosses at the Red-Bull owned team were unimpressed with his performance.

'A waste of time'

Nyck de Vries failed to make an impression while in AlphaTauri

Alliott was also critical of De Vries’s showing in his short time with the team.

He told Auto Hebdo: “You have to quickly make a strong impression.

“How a rookie comes into F1 says a lot about his personality. After that, it’s obvious that you compare a rookie with his teammate.

“He doesn’t necessarily have to beat him from the start, but at least be comparable on a flying lap. And at no time was I impressed by a lap from the Dutch driver.”

Alliott was dismissive of drivers who can’t pull their weight, calling them a ‘waste of time’.

He said: “To survive in F1, you have to tick that box before claiming more time to show what you can do in the race.

“Otherwise, it’s just a waste of time – especially in a discipline as demanding as Formula 1, where the sporting and financial stakes are enormous.”