AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost has expressed sympathy for Nyck de Vries after his sacking from the team. The decision to replace De Vries with Daniel Ricciardo came after only 10 races as an AlphaTauri driver, where De Vries struggled to match the pace of his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
De Vries was one of two drivers without any points in the 2023 F1 season at the time of his dismissal. While the team’s slow car, the AT04, might have contributed to the lack of points, De Vries’s performance compared to Tsunoda raised concerns.
Tost explained that the decision to replace De Vries was difficult but necessary, as Formula 1 has changed dramatically recently. Young drivers entering F1 are required to be very professional, and they have limited opportunities for private tests. Additionally, new tracks in the calendar, like Saudi Arabia, Miami, and Melbourne, and the sprint weekends make it challenging for newcomers to perform well.
With Ricciardo joining the team, AlphaTauri hopes to benefit from his extensive Formula 1 experience, which can provide valuable insights and development feedback for the team’s future improvements. While Tost empathizes with De Vries, the team had to prioritize performance and the potential for better results with Ricciardo at the wheel.
