- Lewis Hamilton defended former Red Bull driver Nyck de Vries.
- In response to Red Bull’s decision to fire Nyck de Vries after only 10 races of the season, Lewis Hamilton said, “That’s how Red Bull work.”
- Nyck de Vries, a former Red Bull driver, was the most recent to have his Formula One career ended last week.
In response to Red Bull’s decision to fire Nyck de Vries after only 10 races of the season, Lewis Hamilton said, “That’s how Red Bull work.”
Nyck de Vries, a former Red Bull driver, was the most recent to have his Formula One career ended last week. Senior team manager Christian Horner admitted the Dutchman was only ever supposed to be a “stopgap” at AlphaTauri, and when he didn’t perform, they terminated him.
Daniel Ricciardo replaces De Vries. Photo/Topcarnews
De Vries is now considering his options after becoming the latest driver to join a group that began with Christian Klien in 2006 and now includes Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Speed, Daniil Kvyat, and Pierre Gasly.
After a dismal first half of the 2023 season, De Vries was fired by Red Bull racing advisor Helmut Marko last week.
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The Dutchman will be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the latest in a long series of mid-season changes made by Red Bull.
Hamilton made it clear that he thought it was premature to replace de Vries before the summer break. De Vries and Hamilton collaborated when the latter was a Mercedes reserve driver in 2021 and 2022.
When asked if he thought de Vries was dropped too soon, Hamilton responded, “Yes. Red Bull does it that way, though.
When questioned about if being harsh on rookies was a part of how F1 operates, Hamilton responded, “You can say that’s how Red Bull works.”
Although Hamilton thought Red Bull had acted hastily, he remained certain that de Vries’ racing career was still very much alive and well.
Sergio Perez on the hot seat
Sergio Perez. Photo/PlanetF1
Sergio Perez is one driver who hopes that’s not the case. It has been rumored that the Australian will be competing for Perez’s race seat next because de Vries has left and Daniel Ricciardo has joined AlphaTauri.
Perez is under pressure to hold onto his seat since he has failed to qualify for the last five race weekends and has just once made it back to the podium while his teammate Max Verstappen has been on a winning streak.
Even while Horner said Ricciardo will be competing for his position in 2025, all but ensuring Perez would continue for another year, history shows that’s not a given.
When questioned about it, Perez dismissed it, claiming that “more than half of the grid” wanted to occupy his position.
After 10 of 22 races, the Mexican is second in the standings but 99 points behind teammate and twice world champion Max Verstappen.
Perez’s contract runs at the end of the next year, although de Vries’ unexpected exit acted as a reminder that Red Bull frequently rotates or removes its contracted drivers.
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