While happy to see him get his Formula 1 chance, Mercedes admit it’s a “shame” to see Nyck De Vries join the Red Bull stable.
The Dutchman, who has been associated with Mercedes since 2019, will race at AlphaTauri next year, replacing the Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly.
At 27, De Vries is also the oldest driver to get a full-time F1 seat since Brendon Hartley in 2017, but that doesn’t bother the former F2 and Formula E champion
“Everyone walks their own path, so regardless of my age or how I got here, I think it’s almost irrelevant,” he told Formula1.com.
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“I think getting the opportunity when the time is right is all that matters in the end.
“For me personally, it’s obviously been a rollercoaster journey and it does feel even – kind of – better to now get the chance.
“At times I probably would have thought it would have been less likely to ever [realise] my dream, but at the same time, I never really gave up on it.”
While often linked to an F1 seat in recent years, De Vries’ big break finally came at Monza where he finished ninth in a Williams after only standing in for Alex Albon from Practice 3.
That result triggered the interest of Red Bull, with Max Verstappen also pushing his fellow countryman to message Helmut Marko about a seat.
“[Monza] was very overwhelming, [but] at the same time, I think my experience and maturity helped me remain very grounded,” Nyck reminisced.
“It was a great experience and I’m very grateful for everything that happened that weekend.”
Asked about De Vries’ move, Mercedes technical chief Mike Elliott admitted to mixed feelings about seeing him join a team owned by their main rivals.
“I’m very happy that Nyck has this opportunity,” he said. “It might be a shame to see where he’s going, but it’s no different.
“I think he deserves this chance. He has shown to be an excellent driver.”
A special delivery. ? On loan to @AlphaTauriF1 ‘till the end of the season! ? pic.twitter.com/xgeCtDJkns
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) November 20, 2022
He also played down any possible information De Vries could take with him to AlphaTauri.
“Formula 1 changes so quickly,” he said. “You learn so quickly. What he did a year ago probably doesn’t even help him now.
“What he may be more likely to take from us is the way we work together, our processes and our systems.
“We wish him success. I think he’s been very honourable in the way he’s dealt with us, so there’s no need to worry.”