The Dutchman, who worked under James when he was the Mercedes FE boss during his championship-winning 2020-21 season, has replaced Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri for the 2023 D1 season after the Frenchman moved to Alpine.
James complimented the 27-year-old for securing an F1 seat and said that his work ethic will benefit AlphaTauri. In an interview with Autosport, he was quoted as saying:
James also highlighted how de Vries actively involves himself with any team he drives for and is very diplomatic in his approach too. He said:
Such qualities, along with huge potential, will make Nyck de Vries stand out next season, according to James. He stated:
Nyck de Vries caught the attention of all the F1 teams when he substituted for Alex Albon at the 2022 F1 Italian GP and managed to finish P9, pushing a slow Williams car to its limits and outperforming teammate Nicholas Latifi. His performance earned him a shot at F1 with Red Bull, who decided to give the vacant seat at AlphaTauri to the Dutchman.
Nyck de Vries’s promotion to F1 showcases Formula E talent pool, believes Ian James
Ian James also spoke about the vast talent pool available in Formula E, a tier in racing that is generally looked down upon. The promotion of a Formula E driver to Formula 1 is a major achievement according to the Briton, who is excited to see how Nyck de Vries performs in his first full season.
James, who started his professional career with McLaren Automotive as a Manufacturing Engineer, also talked about how the engineers and mechanics of FE were no less than those in F1. He said:
With the 2023 set to Nyck de Vries’s first full season in F1, it will be exciting to see how he performs against his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who is also a rookie in the sport.
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