The talent is surely there, but what about the backing. That is often the main question where it comes to the young drivers climbing up the ranks to reach the top flight of Formula 1. We have seen over the years some bright and talented racers just not being able to make it even after the talent and the potential that wasn’t hard to ignore.
Take the great case of Nick Heidfeld and the likes of Nico Hulkenberg. That’s not to deliberately make a case for the German drivers or hint in any way toward it but they just couldn’t hold on to much in Formula 1 even after having been given a fair amount of chances.
At times, one can even note that it’s just not meant to be for some. One can’t doubt that Nico Hulkenberg wasn’t given a fair chance to be in F1, he had a decade long run but minus any podiums, forget race wins.
Now, he seems more like an incompletable project of the sport. Heidfeld, quicker than even Raikkonen when the Finn had arrived in the sport, was someone who was touted as the next big F1 thing from Germany but he found prominence and regard elsewhere. Formula E!
Now, that’s the very lair from which a new talent has risen and risen all too well. Nick de Vries, the winner of the latest Formula E world championship. A blazingly fast and talented driver with amazing reflexes, at 26, you’d think that de Vries should already have entered the sport where he seems to belong and can find his footing.
Yet, we aren’t all that sure about what might happen to Nick de Vries. This is down to a few things-
1. Mercedes aren’t too sure about their 2022 driver pairing apart from the fact that Lewis will remain there. This is the seat to which Nick de Vries has been linked.
2. George Russell: clearly the young driver alongside Lando and Max and Charles in whose hands rests the future of a brilliant sport. He’s been linked to Bottas’ seat for 2022. But will Mercedes release Valtteri who, unfortunately, besides his unavoidable natural talent has become more of a wingman? We don’t know.
So here’s what Toto Wolff, who will eventually decide Nick de Vries’ future, along with his team’s management has had to say on a really talented and notable driver:
According to GP blog, the following insights came to light:
Nyck is a great guy, he is the current Formula E champion and that is something to be really proud of. And he made us win the Formula E constructors championship. He is a great guy, massively intelligent with a lot of social intelligence. When you look at him, he looks like a proper Mercedes driver”, Wolff told the camera, laughing.
“I’m in two minds, cause I don’t want to lose him in Formula e for next year, but he also deserves a seat in F1. I would never block him from a Formula 1 seat.”
When might Nick de Vries get his fair chance in Formula 1, therefore, depends on a lot many things, unfortunately, not solely on his skilful and supreme talent. Let’s hope the best works out for this affable young driver.