F1 driver failed by 'sh**house on wheels' claims race ace

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F1 driver failed by 'sh**house on wheels' claims race ace

Tim Coronel doesn't think his compatriot Nyck de Vries has been fairly treated

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 13 December 2023 15:57

Dutch racing driver Tim Coronel has suggested that Nyck de Vries was not given a fair chance in Formula 1 as he had to drive a 'sh**house on wheels'.

de Vries was finally given a full-time seat in F1 at the age of 28 and had a chance to impress after winning multiple championships across motorsport including the World Endurance Championship, F2 and Formula E.

However, poor performances and costly errors led to the Dutchman being released from the team after just 10 races of the 2023 season, and he was replaced by Daniel Ricciardo.

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At that time, his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda had only managed to claim two points compared to De Vries' zero, but AlphaTauri decided it was time to bring the very experienced Ricciardo back into the F1 fold.

Nyck de Vries spent just 10 races as a full-time F1 driver

Daniel Ricciardo replaced Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri, and shone alongside Yuki Tsunoda

AlphaTauri experienced an inconsistent 2023 season

de Vries let down by AlphaTauri

After a late season resurgence which led to the team claiming 17 points from the last five races, they managed to finish eighth in the constructors' championship, with Ricciardo's performances even sparking rumours of a Red Bull reunion.

Now, Coronel believes that his compatriot may have had a better chance in the sport, if the Faenza-based team's early-season performances had been consistent with their late-season form.

“He performed immediately, but in those races things could have also gone well for Nyck," he told Formule1.NL.

"He just needed a little more time than he got. I am absolutely convinced that everything would have turned out fine for him. Let's not forget that the car he got was a sh**house on wheels.

“He does theory first, then practice. A talent, a raw driver, like Max Verstappen or Oscar Piastri, does exactly the opposite. But that is also because Nyck has always been a test driver, in retrospect for too long.

"And finally, let's not forget that Yuki Tsunoda is seriously fast. It's better than most think. He was in his third year, fought for his last chance and rode with the knife between his teeth. You don't just drive a boy like that away.”

Formula 1 Nyck de Vries