F1: Marko questions De Vries performance

March 18, 2023 12:03 pm

Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko still has his doubts about Nyck de Vries after the first race of the 2023 Formula 1 season. Opportunities for the Dutchman to grow are there at AlphaTauri, but he has to show an outstanding performance.

Based on the race in Bahrain, Marko stated that he has yet to see that in De Vries. There are some basic requirements to reach the first team, according to the Austrian. And at the moment, he and his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda have an equal chance, as Marko told Motorsport-total.com.

Mercedes’ director of track engineering Andrew Shovlin worked closely with De Vries during his time as Mercedes’ reserve driver. Shovlin seems more optimistic about the Dutchman’s chances, believing De Vries could move up to Red Bull soon.

After De Vries’ first race of the season, Marko is a bit cautious about De Vries’ chances: “You have to give him a certain chance. How he works and his attitude are good, but he also has to deliver results now,” he said. While Marko and AlphaTauri are impressed with their professionalism and feedback, Marko sees practical shortcomings on the track.

Marko believes the Dutchman needs to accelerate more. De Vries lost a lot of time in the first race, compared to his teammate. In sector one in Bahrain, De Vries still accompanied Tsunoda, but the difference in sector two was too big. The Dutchman’s performance throughout the entire race was not enough in Marko’s opinion.

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