De Vries saw AlphaTauri departure coming: 'It just wasn't working'

Nyck de Vries has asserted that he saw his departure from theAlphaTauri team coming amid a series of lacklustre performanceslast year. Having starred at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix forWilliams, de Vries was handed a drive at AlphaTauri for thefollowing campaign alongside Yuki Tsunoda. However, the Dutchmanstruggled to get up to speed despite his vast resume in racing,which includes championship success in Formula 2 and Formula E.Following the British Grand Prix, the team announced that de Vrieswould be replaced for the remainder of the year by DanielRicciardo. De Vries has since secured his next full-time racingventure and will take part in the World Endurance Championship withToyota as well as making a return to Formula E with Mahindra.Reflecting on his F1 departure midway through his rookie year, deVries told De Telegraaf that he received a lot of support after hisaxing. "I think I was able to put it into perspective veryquickly," De Vries said. "I received enormous support, all togetherI think I received about 4,000 messages. “That has done me good. Icould sit in a corner and cry, but that wouldn't help anyone. Ofcourse it hurt. “I don't think that's surprising. But everyoneexperiences good times and more difficult times. And yes, pain isalso part of life." 'Departure did not come as a surprise' De Vriesadmitted that the resignation did not come out of the blue, butholds no grudge towards the decision-makers. "I didn't get a lot ofit and tried to distance myself from it as much as possible,” hesaid. “But at the same time, I can't say that the decision came asa total surprise. “I'm not naive. Whether it is fair or just isactually totally irrelevant to me. Nor do I hold any grudge at alltowards Helmut Marko, Daniel Ricciardo or his temporary replacementLiam Lawson. “That is part of the business. I am very grateful forthe opportunity I have been given." De Vries added that he is notinterested in analysing if expectations were too high for hismaiden year. "That's not how I look at it. I'm a perfectionist, sothere are always situations and moments where in hindsight I think:I could have done that better. “In the end, I think I wasn't quitein place there, at that moment. It just wasn't working. Formula 1is something I have dreamed of for so long and then it stops sosoon. “That is a huge disappointment. But it's part of life andalso a bit part of the sport. "When you grow up as a young driver,Formula 1 is your only goal. The crown jewel of our sport. But Ihave learned and realized that there is more than that.“Personally, I enjoyed Formula E and the WEC immensely, so I'mlooking forward to that immensely now. Motor racing is more thanFormula 1, although I understand that the general public may see itdifferently."