Nyck De Vries reacts to AlphaTauri exit as Formula 1 dream ends 'prematurely' with Daniel Ricciardo return
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Updated 20/07/2023 at 11:57 GMT
AlphaTauri caused shockwaves in the lead-up to the Hungarian Grand Prix by announcing that Daniel Ricciardo would replace Nyck De Vries with immediate effect. De Vries, a former Formula 2 and Formula E champion, failed to pick up a point in 10 races and was axed mid-season. The Dutchman responded by admitting it "hurts" to lose his dream Formula 1 seat "prematurely."
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Nyck De Vries admits it “hurt” to see his Formula 1 dream "end prematurely” after he was axed by AlphaTauri mid-season.
It was announced last week that De Vries would be replaced by the experienced Daniel Ricciardo with immediate effect ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
De Vries failed to pick up a point in 10 races during his debut season on the F1 grid after being promoted following title wins in Formula 2 and Formula E.
Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri called on eight-time race winner Ricciardo to leave his role as the constructor champions' reserve driver and replace the Dutchman.
“I would like to thank Red Bull and Scuderia AlphaTauri for the opportunity to live my dream,”
.
“Of course it hurts that the F1 chance I dreamed of for so long ended prematurely.
“But life is not a destination, it’s a journey, and sometimes you have to take the hard road to get where you want to be.
“I am grateful for our privileged lives, proud of our journey and my family. This is just another experience, we move on and look forward to the next chapter.
“Thank you to everyone for your kind and encouraging messages in the past week. It’s been heart-warming to feel your support.
“PS: I received some interesting articles about things I’ve said in the last week. For clarity, I haven’t spoken to any media and for the time being I’ll enjoy some me time. Wishing you all a nice summer.”
Ricciardo ended an underwhelming two-year spell with McLaren at the end of last year and was left without a seat on the grid.
He returned to his former team Red Bull as a reserve driver to Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, but has now been given a route back.
“I’m very pleased to welcome Daniel back into the team,” said AlphaTauri's team principal, Franz Tost.
“There’s no doubt about his driving skills, and he already knows many of us, so his integration will be easy and straight forward. The team will also profit a lot from his experience, as he is an eight-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner.
"I would like to thank Nyck for his valuable contribution during his time with Scuderia AlphaTauri and I wish him all the best for the future.”
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