Nyck de Vries insists he holds no grudge towards Helmut Marko after the Austrian labelled the ex-AlphaTauri driver as his “biggest mistake.”

De Vries starred for Williams at the 2022 Italian GP, deputising for an appendicitis-stricken Alex Albon.

The Dutchman impressed during the one-off outing and came home to score two points for a ninth-place finish. 

The result piqued the interest of Red Bull motorsport advisor, who wrapped up a deal for de Vries to join AlphaTauri for the 2023 season.

However, de Vries struggled to match team-mate Yuki Tsunoda and was replaced mid-season in favour of a returning Daniel Ricciardo. 

De Vries has since returned to Formula E with Mahindra and also races in the highest class of the World Endurance Championship.

Reflecting on his short stint in F1, de Vries told the Cool Room podcast: “It was challenging, but I have no resentment either.

“I am grateful for the opportunity I was given. I have seen my childhood dream come true.

“It worked and it became a short chapter in my career. I was lucky that I already had a chance to build a career in Formula 1.”

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de Vries’ mental struggles

As he continued to struggle through the start of the European season in 2023, de Vries was coming under intense pressure from Marko to boost his performances.

“You have the media and therefore the external pressure, but you also have the internal pressure,” he added.

“Every team is different, so you feel double pressure.

“Wherever you go, it always feels like they’re watching you. I wouldn’t say it feels like they’re attacking you, but you do feel that 24/7 about writing and talking about you.

“You move around in the paddock, in that ecosystem, and everyone knows about it, and you can’t run away from it. Even if you wanted to, there is no way to escape.

“I just tried to ignore it and not do much. I stopped reading any news, but you still know a little bit that it is there.

“From the second weekend, you heard those conversations. Every time you come to the track, you have to talk about it, and that didn’t help me put in my best performance.”