Mercedes driver George Russell has criticized Red Bull and their chief advisor Helmut Marko for the way they treated Nyck de Vries. De Vries was sacked by Red Bull’s AlphaTauri team after just ten races, making way for Daniel Ricciardo’s return to Formula 1.
De Vries gained respect in the paddock when he made his F1 debut with Williams last season, outperforming his teammate Nicholas Latifi as a substitute for Alex Albon at the Italian Grand Prix.
Both Alpine and Williams were interested in signing De Vries for the 2023 season, but he chose to join AlphaTauri. Unfortunately, his time with the team was disappointing, and he was ruthlessly sacked by Marko following the British Grand Prix after failing to score a single point in the AT04.
Russell expressed his thoughts during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, stating: “I wouldn’t have expected it in any other team. Obviously, we know how Red Bull operates, and you need to respect how they do things.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2018/06/19/2357691-49052590-2560-1440.jpg)
“I didn’t follow Nyck closely during his time at AlphaTauri, but I saw the reports and things that Helmut said, and it is a difficult place to go if you’re lacking confidence. They didn’t help him gain confidence, starting the season by saying he’s going to be the leader of the team, even though he’s a rookie.
“It doesn’t matter that he is 27 or 28 years old; he is a Formula 1 rookie, and you can’t go in telling the rookie that you are the leader of the team just because you’ve raced in more championships than your teammate.
“He was in a difficult position from when he started, so I do feel bad for him. He is Formula 1 level, but didn’t get the opportunity that he deserved.”
Russell is familiar with De Vries’ capabilities as the Dutch driver served as Mercedes’ test and reserve driver during Russell’s debut season with the team in 2022. However, De Vries will not return to Mercedes, as Mick Schumacher now holds the role.
Instead, De Vries is taking an unconventional path, heading to Harvard University in the United States to study a course in negotiation and leadership, expanding his horizons beyond motor racing.
