JAKARTA - Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen on Saturday revealed he had advised Nyck De Vries to call adviser to Red Bull team Helmut Marko following his brilliant debut at the Italian Grand Prix last month.
De Vries was called by Williams to replace Alex Albon, suffering from colon inflammation at Monza and the 2020-21 Formula E world champion took advantage of the opportunity, scoring points to finish P9 in his first appearance racing in F1.
The Dutchman on Saturday, ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, was officially recruited by Red Bull's junior team, Alpha Tauri, to fill the bench left by Pierre Gasly anchored to the Alpine team starting next season.
The new contract brought De Vries back to life, who after becoming a Formula 2 world champion in 2019 he only got a bench as a Mercedes driver.
Verstappen revealed he and de Vries were out for dinner after the race at Monza. "And I told him to call (Helmut), it might be a perfect time," Verstappen told his compatriots on Saturday.
Immediately after securing De Vries services, Red Bull released Gasly one year earlier than his contract ending 2023, after the French driver spent nine years under the team owned by the energy drink company.
"Heelmut is a person who when he likes (with the rider), he is brave enough to give him a racing seat," Verstappen said, quoted by Antara, Sunday.
"This is good news, we (Verstappen and De Vries) are good friends."
AlphaTauri team chief Franz Tost admitted that finishing P9 De Vries at Monza had a special influence on Red Bull's decision to choose it.
"He had a fantastic race, didn't make a mistake and therefore choosing him was an easy decision," Tost said.
De Vries has quite a lot of experience in other racing categories that help it quickly adapt to the F1 machine.
The Aston Martin, Williams, and Mercedes teams highly praised the rider's performance following his FP1 appearance for the three teams.
They know the rider's talent and do not hesitate to ask for De Vries' help, although it is still relatively new in F1.
Red Bull now believes De Vries can be a great rider not only for AlphaTauri but also as a cover if Verstappen or Sergio Perez are not fit to race with the first team.
"Hopefully the learning period for Nyck will decrease to just a few test sessions," said Tost, hoping the rider can help the team on a post-season test in Abu Dhabi.
"That means I hope he is very competitive since the first race in 2023."
De Vries will be Yuki Tsunoda's partner, who will undergo his third season with AlphaTauri.
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