Nyck de Vries credits Max Verstappen's help in securing F1 seat for 2023

Nyck de Vries hailed Max Verstappen's role as big brother in landing him a seat in Formula 1.

The 27-year-old was announced ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix as a driver for AlphaTauri from next season, having impressed while racing for Williams as a stand-in driver earlier this year.

Now that he has a permanent seat, replacing Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly, De Vries has achieved his goal of reaching F1.

He credited compatriot and close friend Verstappen with helping him make the breakthrough, having previously won titles in Formula 2 and Formula E.

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Great relationship

"Max and I have a great relationship," he said.

"Obviously, we are from a similar era, he is a little bit younger than me, but we grew up in karting. We are both Dutch, and the way he was approaching racing with his father, driving around in a van through Europe, I think, was very much like ours.

"We live to for the sport, and we respect each other a lot as drivers, although he is a world champion and the best in our sport at the moment, I'm there.

READ: A prophet is never recognised… The rare commonality between Pierre Gasly and Nyck de Vries

"Even though he's a little bit younger, it almost felt like he has acted as my older brother, we had dinner after the Monza event together in Monaco, and we talked about the possibilities and opportunities.

"That resulted in having a conversation with Dr Helmut Marco (motorsport advisor to Red Bull); we met that same week in Austria. I've always listened to people around me, and knowledge is very important in this industry, and I think sometimes you see people holding that cause very close to the chest.

"But if you don't give, you don't