Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Mika Hakkinen, Jenson Button, and Lewis Hamilton. These names have one thing in common. They all raced for McLaren. These names make up for an attractive wall of F1 drivers. Is Nyck de Vries going to make space for himself on the mantle?

The 2012 Drivers Championship was a close one with only 3 points separating 1st and 2nd. McLaren did well too, with Hamilton and Button finishing 4th and 5th. However, in retrospect, the year was special for McLaren for another reason. Nyck de Vries.

The Dutchman was unveiled as part of the Young Driver Development Programme at McLaren. In one of the cartoons by McLaren Tooned, Professor M says to Button, “You better watch out Jenson. He’ll be driving your car before you know it.”

This video came to full circle this season as de Vries delivered a marvelous performance at Monza. Although he did not drive for McLaren, he caught everyone’s eyes on the circuit.

Nyck de Vries Re-Enters F1 Drivers Market as the Most Wanted Man on the Grid: “He Has Exceeded Expectations”

While de Vries only came on for Williams as a replacement for Alex Albon, he will be looking forward to grab one of the vacant spots in several teams for the coming seasons.

Does Nyck de Vries has a future in F1?

De Vries had been knocking on the F1 doors for a while now. The 27-year-old was unfortunate as the seat vacated by Button went to Stoffel Vandoorne, another driver from the Young Driver Programme. However, de Vries continued working hard in GP3, F2, and Formula E.

The call-up from Williams paid off as he secured a P9 in Monza. Lewis Hamilton, who had previously worked with him at McLaren, said “Nyck is a very talented driver, I knew him when he was very young, when I was at McLaren, my father tried to help him get into Formula 1.”

Trending

Liam Lawson’s Surprise Contract Clause Threatens Daniel Ricciardo’s RB Seat

April 24, 2024 11:15 AM EDT

Daniel Ricciardo To Be Replaced by Liam Lawson After Miami, F1 Pundit Dishes Out Harsh Verdict After Australian’s “Amateur Mistake”

April 17, 2024 11:14 AM EDT

What Is Azzurro La Plata and Azzurro Dino? Significance of Ferrari’s Historic Change to a Blue Livery for Miami GP

April 24, 2024 04:52 PM EDT

“[Charles] Leclerc Doesn’t Care About Ferrari”: F1 Insider’s Brutal Blow to Fred Vasseur & Co. Has Racing Community Lashing Out

April 24, 2024 05:00 PM EDT

F1 Rumor: Christian Horner and Wife Geri to Publicly Reveal All Details on Leaked Chat Scandal

April 22, 2024 04:10 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest F1 stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

He also said, “He is really valuable to our team, and he does a lot for us in the simulator and he is always positive. I was so happy to hear that he got the chance to drive a GP weekend. He deserves a place in Formula 1 in my opinion.”

With Nicholas Latifi’s issues and inconsistencies at Williams, it seemed that de Vries might be replacing the Canadian. However, developments since the Monza weekend have been speedy. 

Reports now indicate that the Dutchman will be heading over to AlphaTauri. The team is looking for a replacement for their current driver, Pierre Gasly. Gasly, on the other hand, looks to be Alpine-bound.

Watch This Story: Prisoner in Bahrain Sends Letter to Lewis Hamilton

While it is difficult to take a call on the F1 drivers’ roulette, it can be said without a doubt that de Vries’ call up to F1 was a long time coming. He will be hoping to make the most of it.