Ralf Schumacher Confirms De Vries’ AlphaTauri Future Has Been Decided On

Ralf Schumacher, a former F1 racing driver and presently a reporter for Sky Sports Germany, recently shared his thoughts about the buzz surrounding Nyck de Vries, a driver for AlphaTauri. The murmurs about de Vries’ potential dismissal from his position due to underperformance have been rampant, and Schumacher weighed in by expressing a certainty that the “decision has been made.”

Currently, de Vries has been unable to keep pace with his co-driver Yuki Tsunoda, which has led to the swirling speculations about his place in the team. Entering the conversation, Schumacher offered his viewpoint, stating:

“The decision has been made, I’m pretty sure of that.

“It’s a shame for him that he probably won’t be able to drive [his home race in] Zandvoort.

“He [Nyck de Vries] will no longer be in the car after the summer break.”

Entering his first full-time season, a lot was expected of de Vries, especially after his stellar introduction to F1 at the Italian Grand Prix in 2022. Filling in for an unwell Alex Albon, de Vries managed to gain two points on his debut, attracting multiple teams’ attention for a 2023 seat. However, this season has been less than stellar for de Vries.

Reflecting on de Vries’ performance, Schumacher added, “He did it well, had his highlight in Monza last year and was in the right place at the right time.”

When it comes to potential successors, two names seem to crop up frequently – Red Bull’s junior driver Liam Lawson and the experienced Daniel Ricciardo, who boasts eight grand prix victories. Ricciardo’s recent simulator tests and upcoming tyre tests at Silverstone have gained some interest.

In response to queries about these developments, Red Bull advisor, Helmut Marko, offered a mysterious reply, “We’ll look at the tire test and then we can talk,” triggering more speculation about Ricciardo possibly stepping in for AlphaTauri. As things stand, it looks like Nyck de Vries’ stint in F1 might be drawing to a close.