AlphaTauri’s decision to sack Nyck de Vries after only ten races has been described as “brutal” by Sebastian Vettel.
The Dutch rookie failed to score a point in his first full season in Formula One before being replaced by Daniel Ricciardo at the Red Bull reserve team, with some suggesting the move was designed to put pressure on Sergio Perez.
Retired F1 racer Vettel is happy to see Ricciardo back on the grid but has voiced his surprised at the handling of De Vries’ future.
“Twofold if I'm honest,” he told ITV at Goodwood Festival of Speed when asked for his thoughts on the decision.
“I'm very happy for Daniel, very happy. I like him, obviously I raced with him, and I met him at the test when I was shaking down the McLaren for this weekend. And I'm very, very happy for him.
“On the other hand, you have to be honest as well. It's obviously a shame for Nyck, the way it comes to an end. I think he was given a great chance.
“Maybe things didn't happen for him the way he expected, or people expected. But it's also a bit harsh when it comes to a very sudden stop like that. It's brutal.”
