Nyck de Vries revealed getting prepared for his Formula 1 racing debut has been something he's been working on his whole life, and not just when he signed for AlphaTauri.
The wait if finally over for Nyck de Vries as he will finally make his full-time F1 racing debut in Bahrain this weekend, and despite that being at the age of 28, a relatively old age in this day and age of the sport, it's definitely a case of better late than never, and the Dutchman feels more than ready.
Previewing his first race with AlphaTauri, De Vries said: "I’m definitely feeling ready for this first race of the year.
"In October last year, I kind of knew I would be on the grid, so the lead-up and preparations have been long, and I’ve been looking forward to this moment, not only for the past five, six, seven months, but pretty much a lifetime, so I definitely feel like I am as ready as I can be," he explained.
"Testing was really good," De Vries added reflecting on Bahrain's three-day test last week. "We completed a lot of laps in which we were able to execute our programme, learn a lot about our package and test many different things.
"There was plenty of information to digest and put together in time for this weekend and it’s hard to get a good read on where we sit because the midfield seems very tight, but hopefully we can be up there.
"I think two tenths in lap time will put you up and down the order a lot, and it will probably swing round a little bit from weekend to weekend, so it is challenging but we’ll obviously do our best," the AlphaTauri driver pointed out.
The new car an evolution
De Vries drove the 2022 car one time before Bahrain's test, but could draw some comparisons with the new for 2023 AT04.
"I only had one test in last year’s car but it’s clear that this one is a bit of an evolution," he said. "If you look across the grid, everyone tried to optimise their package a little bit and so did we. My honest feeling about it is that, because the rules remain the same, fundamentally, there isn’t a huge difference between the two cars.
"I’ve had to adapt to working with a new PU supplier to the one I’ve been with in the past. It’s obviously always a little bit different in the way they work, but it’s not miles apart and it’s fairly straightforward," De Vries, now powered by Honda/Red Bull Powertrains compared to Mercedes before, explained.
The Formula E and Formula 2 Champion admits lining up on the F1 grid won't feel much different than any other racing series he's taken part in.
"How will I feel on the grid, starting my first full F1 season?" he said. "You know, when you’re in the car and when the engine is fired up, you’re actually quite alone and it’s very quiet, just you and the car alone, so I don’t think it will feel much different than any other time you’re on the grid waiting for the lights.
"It’s just another car really. I don’t think that will feel much different. It’s more the whole circus around it which probably feels a little bit different during the weekend and in the days before, but otherwise, I’ve done many starts, so this is going to be another one," De Vries maintained.
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