F1 News: Driver Hits Out At Red Bull And AlphaTauri Over Shock 2023 Exit - "Sh**House"

Dutch racing driver Tim Coronel has spoken out on Nyck de Vries' shocking exit from AlphaTauri after just 10 races of the 2023 season.

Author:
Lydia Mee
Publish date:
Dec 13, 2023

Dutch racing driver Tim Coronel has criticised Red Bull and AlphaTauri for their handling of Nyck de Vries' brief Formula 1 career. Coronel believes Nyck de Vries faced unfair treatment and challenges, including having to drive what he described as a "sh**house on wheels".

Key Takeaways:

Tim Coronel's Critique: Coronel suggests that Nyck de Vries, despite his talent and multiple championship wins in other motorsports, was not given a fair opportunity in Formula 1. He criticises the team for providing de Vries with a subpar car.
De Vries' Short-Lived F1 Career: De Vries was released from the team after just 10 races in his rookie season, following poor performances and costly errors. He was replaced by Daniel Ricciardo, despite his teammate Yuki Tsunoda only securing two points compared to de Vries' none.
AlphaTauri's Late Season Resurgence: The team, with Ricciardo on board, managed a comeback in the latter part of the season, finishing eighth in the constructors' championship.

Dutch racer Nyck de Vries finally secured a full-time seat in Formula 1 at 28, a significant milestone after his successes in the World Endurance Championship, F2, and Formula E. However, his stint in F1 was short-lived as he was released from the team after participating in only 10 races of the 2023 season. His replacement, eight-time grand prix winner Daniel Ricciardo, played a crucial role in AlphaTauri's late-season comeback, contributing to the team's eighth-place finish in the constructors' championship. On top of this, the AT04 was given significant upgrades in the latter stages of the season.

Coronel believes that de Vries deserved more time to prove himself in F1, arguing that the poor early-season performance of the team's car didn't provide a fair assessment of de Vries' capabilities. During an interview with Formule1.NL, he explained:

“He performed immediately, but in those races things could have also gone well for Nyck.
"He just needed a little more time than he got. I am absolutely convinced that everything would have turned out fine for him. Let's not forget that the car he got was a sh**house on wheels.
“He does theory first, then practice. A talent, a raw driver, like Max Verstappen or Oscar Piastri, does exactly the opposite. But that is also because Nyck has always been a test driver, in retrospect for too long.
"And finally, let's not forget that Yuki Tsunoda is seriously fast. It's better than most think. He was in his third year, fought for his last chance and rode with the knife between his teeth. You don't just drive a boy like that away.”