Verstappen comments on whether De Vries is ready to make F1 debut in 2023

28 July 2022 at 16:22

Last update 28 July 2022 at 16:43

GPblog.com

For Nyck de Vries, the departure of Sebastian Vettel might mean good news. The Dutchman has made no secret of his desire to be on the Formula 1 grid by 2023 and it became clear on Friday that there is another seat on the market. Max Verstappen would welcome an entry from his fellow countryman.

That De Vries is fast on the track, we know by now. He won the Formula 2 championship and last season he took the world title in Formula E. Yet the driver from Sneek is already 27 years old and that means it is now or never. Would a team like Aston Martin like to start there or would they rather choose an experienced driver or a very young, talented driver like Oscar Piastri?

When asked by Motorsport.com if he thinks De Vries is ready to step into the pinnacle of motorsport, Verstappen replied by saying that it is a bit difficult for him to say. "But if you look at the current field, I think Nyck can definitely belong there," said the current world championship leader.

Many drivers in pursuit of Vettel's F1 seat

Verstappen finds it difficult to comment on the situation, as the news is still very fresh and it is unclear what kind of successor Lawrence Stroll is looking for. Other candidates to replace Vettel at the British team are Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly if he can be loosened up at AlphaTauri, but also the name of Mick Schumacher has come up in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg is still the team's test and reserve driver, so his name should not be overlooked either.