"It might be a shame to see where he's going"- Mercedes on Nyck de Vries' move to AlphaTauri in 2023 F1 season

Mercedes have claimed that they're happy with Nyck De Vries making his F1 debut with AlphaTauri next season. The team, however, was a little upset about the Dutchman joining Red Bull's sister team but believes that he deserves the chance.

While speaking to Motorsport, Mercedes technical director Mike Elliott was all praise for De Vries and claimed that the driver understands an F1 car well. He said:

"I am very happy for Nyck that he has this opportunity. It might be a shame to see where he's going, but it's no different. I think he deserves this chance. He has shown to be an excellent driver. It was brilliant to have him in the pit box. He is a very nice guy, really knows what it is all about and understands the car."

When asked about a potential leak of information from De Vries's end to his new team, Elliott further clarified:

"Formula 1 changes so quickly. You learn so quickly. What he did a year ago probably doesn't even help him now. What he may be more likely to take from us is the way we work together, our processes, and our systems. We wish him success. I think he's been very honorable in the way he's dealt with us, so there's no need to worry."

De Vries was announced as an AlphaTauri driver during the 2022 F1 Japanese Grand Prix weekend. He will be replacing Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly in the Italian team. This move, however, will cut the Dutchman's ties to his former team Mercedes, who helped him win the 2020-21 championship in Formula E. He also acted as a reserve and test driver for their F1 team for a long while.

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Mercedes engineer hails Lewis Hamilton's unwavering contribution to the team

Mercedes' technical director Mike Elliot was praiseworthy of Lewis Hamilton's leadership at the Brackley-based outfit, despite the team's struggles this year. He claimed that the seven-time world champion worked with the same spirit as ever.

While speaking to RacingNews365, he shed light on how Hamilton continues to lead the team and motivate everyone, saying:

"Both our drivers have been brilliant this year. We've not given them the car that they need to fight, and particularly for Lewis, seven-time World Champion, to not have been in that position, to be winning races every weekend and fighting for championships has been hard. I think Lewis pushes the team. I think he does a really good job of giving us feedback. He works really hard. His work ethic has not changed at all this year."

Mercedes have not been able to fight for the championship this year for the first time in almost a decade. Hamilton and George Russell's brilliant performances, however, have kept the team spirit afloat. The two Britons are pushing hard to bring home a victory for the team.