2023-07-12 13:57:00
Helmut Marko commented on the decision to refuse the services of Nick de Vries and invite Daniel Riccardo to take his place. According to Red Bull’s motorsport consultant, the Dutch driver has not only been inferior to teammate Yuki Tsunoda all season, but has not progressed either.
Helmut Marko: “We signed Nick because he did a great job at Monza last year. We expected that this year he would at least perform at the level of partner Yuki Tsunoda, but this did not happen. In fact, Nick was constantly driving three tenths slower and we didn’t see any progress.
He is already 28 years old, he has a lot of experience and knowledge that he has gained by piloting the cars of different Formula 1 teams as a test driver. In my opinion, it cannot be considered a debutant.
At the end of April in Baku, Nick had a great start to the weekend and I thought he improved, but then he crashed the car again. Unfortunately, he did not drive a single super circle, which would have made a strong impression on us.
In such a situation, we had to do something. Why did we have to wait until summer break? What would two races change if we didn’t see any improvements anyway? Nick is a very nice guy, but he just didn’t have the speed.
I think it will be difficult for him to find another place in Formula 1. At the same time, I believe that he knew where everything was going. I think he can build a successful career in endurance racing.”
Commenting on Daniel Ricciardo’s tire tests, Marco said: “He posted competitive times on three different tyres. If Riccardo didn’t have speed, we would look for someone else.
The AlphaTauri is in last place in the Constructors’ Championship, so something had to be done. Ricciardo will bring new energy to the team.”
At the same time, Marco made it clear that it is too early for the Australian driver to think about the prospect of replacing Sergio Perez in Red Bull Racing: “Sergio takes second place in the individual standings. What is the point of refusing his services now? At Silverstone, he had a good race, Sergio just needs to improve in qualifying.
First of all, we will compare Riccardo with Tsunoda. In my opinion, many underestimate Yuki. The AlphaTauri is not the easiest car to fly, but Yuki has proven that he can perform well.”
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