Nyck de Vries will return to the all-electric Formula E series with Mahindra next season after his failed move to Formula 1, the team confirmed today
The 28-year-old Dutch driver started 10 grands prix with Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri without scoring a point this season before being replaced by experienced Australian Daniel Ricciardo.
He had scored points with a ninth place for Williams on his Formula One debut a year ago as an Italian Grand Prix stand-in for unwell Alex Albon.
De Vries won the 2020-21 Formula E championship with Mercedes. Mahindra said he had signed a multi-year contract alongside Swiss-born Edoardo Mortara for season 10 which starts in Mexico City in January. Pre-season testing starts in Valencia, Spain, next month.
“Coming back to Formula E will feel like coming home,” said De Vries. “I’ve been part of the Formula E family for three seasons, I know everybody very well. I’m looking forward to being back in a familiar environment, and to be back somewhere where ultimately, I’ve always enjoyed my racing.”
Mahindra Racing and Lucas Di Grassi have mutually agreed to part ways ahead of Season 10, the team adding in a statement: “Obrigado, Lucas. We would like to thank Lucas and wish him all the best for the future.”
De Vries will spearhead the Mahindra effort in Formula E with Edoardo Mortara
Mahindra Racing CEO Frédéric Bertrand said: “I am delighted to welcome Edo and Nyck to the Mahindra Racing family. As a team, we are all embarking on a journey to bring Mahindra Racing back to the front of the grid in the coming years.”
“With their speed and experience, Nyck and Edo will play a key role in driving the team towards that goal, and I know everybody is feeling very motivated to work with them.
“Equally important for the team are the drivers’ appetites for a long-term project, which makes them the perfect fit for Mahindra Racing at the beginning of this journey. The signing of Nyck and Edo, along with new recruits within the wider team, puts down a solid foundation on which we can build.”
Before embarking on his AlphaTauri misadventure, De Vries was et to drive for Toyota Gazoo’s World Endurance Championship. Motorsport reports that 28-year-old De Vries could replace 40-year-old Jose Maria Lopez alongside Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway in the #7 car for 2024.
Team boss Rob Leupen, who has worked with De Vries when he tested for TGR, downplayed the prospect: “I’m always in contact with Nyck because we are both Dutch! I think Nyck has a lot of opportunities, he has also done some good testing for us.
“We are also in a good situation with our [current] driver line-up. I think our current driver line-up is superb. From that point of view, I would say there is no issue,” insisted Leupen. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Additional Reporting GP247)