F1: Max Verstappen reveals role in Nyck de Vries landing AlphaTauri role

Max Verstappen has revealed the role he played in helping Nyck de Vries getting a drive at AlphaTauri for next season.

We’ll have double Dutch on the grid next year with Verstappen in at Red Bull and De Vries driving for sister team AlphaTauri, after it was confirmed on Saturday morning at the Japanese Grand Prix that he’d be partnering Yuki Tsunoda and replacing Pierre Gasly for next season.

A big opportunity for De Vries, then, who has been knocking on the door of an F1 drive for some time, but has only just got his chance now.

Indeed, he impressed for Williams on his race debut at the Italian Grand Prix after standing in for Alex Albon and that twist of fate seems to have really finally opened the door for De Vries, with him also linked to a drive at Williams before getting the gig with the Faenza team.

In fact, after his points-scoring debut in Italy, he had dinner with compatriot Verstappen and the reigning champion has revealed how during that meal he convinced Nyck to give Helmut Marko a call over the potential drive at AlphaTauri for 2023, given it was looking quite possible Gasly would be vacating and heading to Alpine.

“We had a dinner the day after Monza, and I told him, just give [Helmut Marko] a call, you never know what happens,” Verstappen to Motorsport.com.

“It was also the right time to call him. Helmut is probably still excited on a Monday from the race on a Sunday. It worked out well, and I’m very happy for him.”

It was clearly a phone call well worth making, with De Vries now set for his first proper crack at Formula 1 in 2023.

The F1 driver market has been fascinating this year and we’re getting ever closer to completing our jigsaw for 2023.

Gasly is off to Alpine, De Vries is off to AlphaTauri, and