Nyck de Vries’ career has had big highs and tough lows, from winning championships to getting his big break in Formula 1, only to lose his seat just as quickly. And if that wasn’t hard enough, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko later called signing him his “biggest mistake.”

De Vries was always seen as a talented driver. He started in karting, where he won two world championships, and worked his way up through the junior racing categories. In 2019, he won the Formula 2 championship, which should have led straight to F1, but there were no seats available. Instead, he switched to Formula E, where he became world champion in the 2020–21 season with Mercedes.

Even though he wasn’t racing in F1, he stayed close to the paddock as a reserve driver for teams like Mercedes and Williams. His big moment finally came in 2022 at the Italian Grand Prix when he replaced Alex Albon at the last minute. With almost no preparation, he outqualified Nicholas Latifi and finished ninth in the race, scoring points on his debut. That performance made a huge impression, and suddenly, he had a real chance at F1.

Red Bull’s Helmut Marko decided to take a gamble and offered him a full-time seat at AlphaTauri (now VCARB) for 2023. But things didn’t go as planned. The team was struggling, and de Vries couldn’t quite match the pace of teammate Yuki Tsunoda. After just ten races without scoring any points, Red Bull made a quick decision to replace him with Daniel Ricciardo. Just like that, his F1 career was over almost before it had really begun.

Looking back, it’s fair to say he wasn’t given much time to prove himself. Adapting to F1 is tough, and most drivers get at least a full season to improve. But Red Bull is known for being ruthless, and they weren’t willing to wait. Later, Marko admitted that signing de Vries had been a mistake, though many believe he just wasn’t given a fair chance.

Despite the setback, de Vries hasn’t let it slow him down. He’s now back in endurance racing, driving for Toyota in the World Endurance Championship as well as Formula E, behind the wheel of Mahindra Racing's car. His time in F1 may have been short, but at 30, he still has a long career ahead of him.