Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that Hendrik Johannes Nicasius “Nyck” de Vries is an incredibly skilled racing driver who has done wonders since he first took to the sport. This Dutch native was actually just five when he sat behind the wheel for the first time owing to his father being involved in this same industry, unaware he himself would end up finding his passion. “[My father] was really keen to get me into the sport,” he candidly revealed in season 6 of Netflix’s ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive before proudly adding, “Racing, that has basically been my life.”
It thus comes as no surprise Nyck was merely 9 when he began competing through karting, only to start getting podiums within two years thanks to his unwavering drive as well as support system. Then came 2008, and this 13-year-old showed the world he was there to stay by winning both the renowned open kart racing competition WSK World Series plus the German Junior Championship. He then managed to defend these titles while also conquering the WSK International Series in 2009, followed by a CIK-FIA Karting World Championship win in 2010 and 2011 — he was thriving.
Nyck hence managed to get into Formula racing in 2012, roughly two years after signing with the McLaren Young Driver Programme in hopes of climbing this sport’s ladder to the very, very top. However, despite a great run in 2014, it wasn’t until 2019 that he really set himself apart by walking away with the FIA Formula 2 Championship, just to then become the 2020–21 E World Champion too. That’s how he got to make his F1 debut in September 2022 as a substitute at Williams Racing for the Italian Grand Prix before joining Red Bull’s sister team, Scuderia AlphaTauri, for the 2023 season.
Nyck De Vries is Now Back in Formula E
Although Nyck was extremely excited to finally realize his dream of racing in Formula One (F1) in 2023, the pressure and expectations seemingly got to him until he just couldn’t perform. It was actually to such an extent he scored zero points in 10 races, leading him to be released despite there being 12 still to go in the season — he was replaced by Red Bull’s 3rd racer, Daniel Ricciardo. Many honestly deemed this a harsh decision considering he was a rookie, yet he himself has since stated it wasn’t a tough call to take because he “had a lot of support, and it actually went very naturally.”
Coming to what Nyck has been up to these days, he’d revealed in 2023 itself that his immediate plans revolved around pursuing something he’d never truly experienced as well as expanding his wings. “I’ve never studied before in my life. In fact, I didn’t even finish high school,” he said. “But in September, I’m going to take a course at Harvard. Negotiation and Leadership, a little bit of studying. More because I just like it now that I have some time and the interest to learn other things.” It then came to light this freshman made his “debut as a student and [a guest] lecturer on the same day” prior to continuing on his passion for racing too.
After all, Nyck has since signed with Mahindra Racing in Formula E, where the hope is he can continue breaking records and earning championships alongside teammate Edoardo “Edo” Mortara. Moreover, this Global Brand Ambassador for Omnes Capital is now even competing for Toyota Gazoo Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, making it clear his time as a racing driver is far from over. Who knows, maybe he’ll soon get a chance to return to Formula One too, only to genuinely showcase his skills plus the way he has gradually been expanding both himself and his brand over the years. We frankly can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.
Read More: 8 Shows Like Formula 1 Drive to Survive You Must See
