F1 News: Toto Wolff on De Vries – “What else should he do?”
Nyck de Vries was the main revelation of the Italian GP weekend, demonstrating tremendous speed and adaptability for Williams.
After being called to replace Alex Albon in the FW44 just hours before third practice, the Dutchman was competitive immediately after setting foot in the car, reaching an impressive Q2 and outqualifying Nicholas Latifi at the first time of asking.
Prior to his call-up from Williams, the 27-year-old revealed on Saturday that he is searching for a 2023 F1 seat, though nothing is confirmed.
De Vries said, “I believe I would not be out of place here [in F1], and I deserve a chance. That’s the dream.” He was wrong. De Vries did look out of place, but only because he was running significantly higher than we are used to seeing the Williams.
It seems unlikely that his performance in Monza – whilst being spectacular – will guarantee De Vries a place on the grid next season.
However, Toto Wolff’s post-race comments to Sky Sports summarise quite accurately the impact of his performance in Monza:
“I think what else should he do, in terms of performance, than what he has shown today?
“No training, [he] jumped into a car that he hadn’t driven straight into FP3. I mean, yeah, he showed what he’s capable of doing.”
Williams is among the teams without a fully confirmed lineup for 2023, so it remains to be seen whether De Vries has made himself impossible for the Grove-based team to overlook.