De Vries replaces Pierre Gasly, who was released from an existing contract to drive for Alpine next season.
The 27-year-old has put himself in a prime spot to one day replace Sergio Perez and join his friend and compatriot Max Verstappen in the Red Bull Racing line-up.
“I am very excited to join Scuderia AlphaTauri for 2023,” said De Vries, “and I want to thank both Red Bull and the team for giving me the opportunity to drive in F1.
“After F2, I took a slightly different path with motorsport, but F1 has always been my dream and I am grateful to be able to fulfill it. I have had many opportunities to experience the 2022 car this year and I think that has put me in a great position for the season ahead, hopefully this has helped me prepare for what is to come. Having spent most of my adolescence in Italy for karting,
“I have always felt at home there, so for me it is great to join an Italian team, which already has a real family atmosphere, and I am looking forward to meeting all of them and starting to build our relationship before next season. .”
The confirmation of De Vries’ long-awaited transfer to the Faenza outfit is the latest step in a dramatic turnaround in his career.
He was selected as a junior driver for McLaren while still in karting, where he won the World Championship, and enjoyed nearly a decade of support before parting ways with the Woking outfit after a disappointing 2018 F2 season.
De Vries bounced back to win the F2 title in 2019, before moving on to Formula E, where he won the championship as a Mercedes works driver in his second season in 2020-21. In recent years he has also gained extensive experience racing sports cars in LMP2.
His links with Mercedes created an opportunity in F1, and in 2022 he ran FP1 sessions for the works team, Williams and Aston Martin, while serving as reserve driver for all three.
Nyck de Vries, Williams FW44
Photo by: Williams
Even before a spectacular F1 debut at Monza last month, where he replaced the ailing Alex Albon at Williams from FP3 and enjoyed a boost to ninth in the race, he had emerged as a potential racing driver for 2023. , with the interest of several teams.
He gained more F1 miles with a fourth car when he tested a 2021 Alpine in Budapest shortly after his Monza appearance. After hopes of Colton Herta getting a super license faded, AlphaTauri became the most likely destination for de Vries.
It took several weeks to finalize the deal, as terms for Gasly’s departure and move to Alpine had to be agreed, while de Vries had to be released from future WEC and Formula E commitments.
Red Bull’s decision to go with him as Gasly’s replacement indicates that he is highly regarded within the camp, as AlphaTauri’s stated role is to provide drivers for the senior RBR team.
His signing may also raise questions about Red Bull’s junior programme, as he has been preferred over Liam Lawson, the man regarded as next in line, who has already driven one FP1 session for AlphaTauri.