The F1 rookie gets his rod in the window from Red Bull. “Nyck de Vries falls short of expectations. We don’t have a time limit, but we’re monitoring it closely. We expect a significant increase, especially now on the routes that he knows better,” said Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko of the APA.
De Vries responded to the statements made by the Red Bull motorsport consultant. “I think dr. Marko will appreciate it if I prove him wrong on the track.” Now it is important not to force things. “Then it won’t work out and mistakes will happen. I have to be patient, the potential is there,” emphasized de Vries. Max Verstappen encouraged his compatriot. “That’s motorsport. You have to perform as best you can. You have to work with the team, learn from your mistakes, don’t force it and stay calm. That applies to all of us,” said the world champion.
APA/AFP/Getty Images/Peter Fox Helmut Marko is anything but happy with the performance of Alpha Tauri around team boss Franz Tost
No point in eight races of the season
In eight races of the season, de Vries did not score a single point, only Williams rookie Logan Sargeant had a similar experience. However, Alpha Tauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda does not have a much better record, the 23-year-old Japanese has collected two points so far. Tsunoda narrowly missed out on the points several times with three elevenths and one twelfth place, de Vries only finished twelfth. Whether de Vries will end the season in the cockpit of the Red Bull talent factory depends on the next five races in Europe. These take place in Silverstone, Budapest, Spa, at home in Zandvoort and Monza.
Marko also criticized Alpha Tauri’s approach and complained about the lack of cooperation with Red Bull. Alpha Tauri had to lean more towards the world champion team and not succumb to its own constructions and ideas, said the 80-year-old Styrian. The regulations say a lot about this. “You could put a better car there.”
ORF timetable
Freitag:
1 p.m.: F1 news
1.25 p.m .: First training session
(start 1.30 p.m.)
4:00 p.m.: F1 news
16.55 Uhr: Qualifying
(Start 5 p.m.)
6.10pm: F1 Analysis
Saturday:
11.25 a.m.: F1 news
11:55 a.m.: Sprint shootout
(start 12.00 p.m.)
4 p.m.: Sprint race
(start 4.30 p.m.)
5.10pm: F1 Analysis
Sunday:
1:20 p.m.: F1 news
2:20 p.m.: The race
(start 3 p.m.)
5pm: F1 Motorhome
Perez doesn’t wobble
Meanwhile, it’s unlikely that the driver carousel will turn around at Red Bull itself in the very near future. Although Sergio Perez missed the podium three times in a row, his cockpit next to world champion Max Verstappen is not at risk.
Perez has to catch up and deliver the appropriate qualifying sessions and races again, that’s the focus now, emphasized Marko. Perez, who is currently second in the World Cup after a strong start to the season with two wins and two second places, has a contract with Red Bull until 2024. However, he is already 69 points behind World Cup leader Verstappen.
Ricciardo is ready
Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo, who has found his happiness again after difficult months in the F1 circus, wishes for an early return to the Red Bull cockpit. As Red Bull’s reserve driver, the 33-year-old Australian is currently mainly involved in marketing activities.
Ricciardo, who has worked as a driver for McLaren and Renault in recent years, will be given a chance to prove himself for future assignments. “He will complete a tire test after Silverstone. That will give you an idea of where he is. We have that under evaluation and observation,” said Marko. But Perez will not put his rod in the window.
Ricciardo was in the Red Bull cockpit for five seasons from 2014 to 2018, during which time he achieved seven race wins. The future of the Australian, who is always in a good mood, in Formula 1 is open after twelve years as a regular driver. “It would be a fairytale ending if I could end my career here (at Red Bull, note),” Ricciardo said recently on ESPN.