Nyck de Vries determined to make progress despite early struggles in F1
Apr.12 - Nyck de Vries has admitted he is under "pressure" to get up to speed in Formula 1.
The 28-year-old Dutch rookie arrived at AlphaTauri this year with a strong reputation - but he is so far lagging teammate Yuki Tsunoda in qualifying and yet to open his points account.
He admits that he cannot be fully satisfied with the start.
"But I do see good progress in the last two weekends," de Vries told the Dutch publication Formule 1.
"If you're a bit behind as we are now, sometimes it all just has to fall into place. And it's not always evident that it's going well."
He is also learning to deal with Formula 1's notorious critics.
"That's just inherent to Formula 1 because of the large platform it is," said de Vries. "Everyone watches, everyone likes it. But it's fine - it is everyone's right and I respect it.
Nyck de Vries of Netherlands driving the AlphaTauri AT04 on track during practice ahead of the 2023 F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit
"You can't please everyone - you have fans and non-fans. But I believe that with time it will come our way and the team and I are working very hard together on that."
However, he admits that the results will have to start coming eventually.
"Pressure is always there in this world," said de Vries. "As a driver, in whatever category, you're always fighting to survive.
"The demand for places in motorsport is simply much greater than the supply, so there's always pressure. But it's really no different than in other years."
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one word, OK 2 , Brendon Hartley
So far, the biggest disappointment to me versus pre-season expectations.
Based on the one-off substitution in Monza, I expected more from him.
If he continues to get outperformed by Tsunoda, he'd definitely be at risk of losing his drive to someone from the Iwasa-Lawson-Hauger trio for next season.
I think you have to give time some time to adapt. This guy will really be a lot quicker after 5 races under his belt. I hasn't made any stupid mistakes and is learning quickly. Don't forget Tsunoda is already in his 3rd season.
At 28 yrs old do you not think that would have already developed his race craft and ability
Not WDC material I would think
My Rant for Today
Formula One (F1) fans should demand that teams show more ambition and offer better cars to drivers. Let's take a look at Alpha Tauri, the sister team of Red Bull, which has received a lot of criticism for its poor performance in recent races.
As an F1 fan, I am extremely frustrated with the performance of the car given to Alpha Tauri drivers, which has left them struggling to compete. It's baffling to see a team associated with Red Bull so far behind in performance. I can't help but wonder whether the team is only there to provide a training ground for young drivers, or if they have any aspirations to win a championship.
While teams may not be able to share all their information, this shouldn't be an excuse for a lack of ambition. It appears that some F1 teams are content with just getting by each year, with no real desire to win a championship. This is why fans are calling for new teams, such as Andretti Global Racing, to enter the competition with a clear goal of winning the championship, not just aiming to be in the midfield.
I am amazed at why some teams bother with the extravagant costs involved in F1 if they are not going to show ambition and aim to win races. The current state of affairs leaves me feeling disheartened and yearning for more competitive racing. Alpha Tauri's poor performance makes me question the team's motives and abilities. In my opinion, new teams should be encouraged to join the competition with the goal of winning the championship, rather than simply participating in the midfield. However, only time will tell if teams will heed the calls for more ambition and competitiveness.
But thats the good think about the cost cap, each team now can only spend X, and as they all say there on the cost cap limit, then surely they are all trying as hard as each other no/yes ?
Totally agree and exceeding the cost cap is a sure sign that you're trying even harder
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