You call it if you want versatility. Nyck De Vries2021 Formula E champion and next AlphaTauri driver in 2023, is specializing this year in the decidedly unusual role of luxury substitute. Already in 2020 the role of ‘pilot on call’ by Nico Hulkenberg had struck the collective imagination, deployed by the then Racing Point as a last-minute replacement in place of the various Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll when the two were hit by Covid .
But the Dutchman is taking this thankless task to a very special level. Between test sessions, free practice sessions and races, in fact, this year the former Formula 2 winner he has already driven for four different stables: Mercedes and Aston Martin as ‘young driver’ in PL1; Alpine in a private test session; Williams in the race, at Monza, as a replacement for the unfortunate Alex Albon, who was operated on in those days of appendicitis.
Precisely the amazing race held in Italy, complete with a placement in final points (9th), opened the doors of theAlphaTauri. Helmut Marko has in fact chosen him as the heir of Pierre Gasly, who will drive for the Alpine next year. That will be the opportunity of a lifetime for the Dutch ‘other’, but in the meantime until the end of the year De Vries remains a Mercedes driver. His job is therefore still that of third guide available to all teams powered by the Stuttgart house. For this reason, this weekend, he could be called into question again: this time by a different fifth team, the McLaren.
The Woking team must in fact manage in these hours the malaise of Lando Norris. The Englishman was the victim of food poisoning and will not be present today at the circuit to carry out the traditional activities of press conference and meeting with journalists. The papaya-colored team is confident that it will be able to count on its # 4 from tomorrow, but if this is not the case, it will be up to De Vries once again to get in the car to allow the team to field two cars regularly.
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