George Russell reveals one major reason why Nyck de Vries has struggled at the start of his F1 career

George Russell sympathizes with rookie Nyck de Vries, who is struggling quite a lot in his first year in Formula 1. The Dutchman has not scored any points in 2023 and is somehow trying to keep the car on track.

He has made some glaring mistakes on certain tracks, in Azerbaijan in particular. Though it has raised questions about his future in the sport, Russell understands how difficult it can be for a new driver.

Speaking to the media, George Russell spoke about the tricky situations rookies are facing this season with the calendar, starting with race venues they have never been to as an F1 driver.

He touched on Nyck de Vries and how he is facing even more pressure since he is already considered an experienced driver. However, Russell understands that Formula 1 is a different beast in itself. He said (via RacingNews365):

"It's a very challenging start to the season for teams to understand the cars, for rookies coming into the championship. I think that's also why it all looks quite harsh on a driver like Nyck, for example. He's an experienced driver but [it's his] first year in F1. It's not an easy start to the season with the circuits that [are] on the calendar. [I'm] definitely looking forward to more normal tracks."

As the sport moves towards more traditional tracks located in Europe, drivers like Nyck de Vries could start improving and score some much-needed points.

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Red Bull team boss on rumors about Daniel Ricciardo potentially replacing Nyck de Vries in AlphaTauri

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner still has no concrete answer to potential rumors about Daniel Ricciardo joining AlphaTauri and replacing Nyck de Vries. The replacement rumors emerged after the Dutchman's poor performances this year. Speaking to RacingNews365, he stated that it is too early to say anything about the matter. He said:

"It's still very early days for next year. Daniel is under contract for the year. He's going to be driving our car for the first time after the British Grand Prix [at a Pirelli tyre test]. He's obviously a world-class driver. He's won, what, seven Grands Prix in his career to date (sic, eight)."

Horner added:

"So I think the first thing will be to see how he performs and where his motivation is, and then from there, it's a question for AlphaTauri as to their choices for the following season."

On the other hand, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has been more straightforward and blunt about Nyck de Vries. He has stated that the Red Bull seniors are not satisfied with his performance and will discuss the situation.