After his Formula 1 exit, Nyck de Vries could switch to Toyota – the Dutchman should apparently start in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) as early as 2023
Nyck de Vries, who is so far without a cockpit for 2024 following his Formula 1 retirement, could start in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). The Dutchman was already part of the team as a reserve driver in the 2022 season and was due to be promoted to regular driver in 2023 – but then opted for the Formula 1 offer from Alpha Tauri.
It is likely that de Vries will take Jose Maria Lopez’s place and drive the 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid alongside Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway. The Argentine was already due to vacate his seat for the Dutchman this year, but extended his contract for another year.
“I am always in contact with Nyck because we are both Dutch,” jokes Leupen. “I think Nyck has a lot of possibilities, he has also done some good tests for us [in the past].”
“We are also in a good situation with our [current] driver line-up,” Leupen continues. “I think our current driver line-up is great. From that point of view, I would say there is no problem. “
De Vries: Back to Formula E?
Lopez is now 40 years old, but cannot give any clarity on his future. “I would like to stay with the team, but I’m not 20 anymore,” “We have to wait and see. Nothing is decided yet.” In previous years, Toyota announced the driver line-ups for the following year in late November or early December, often along with the rest of its motorsport activities.
For Nyck de Vries, there could also be an involvement in Formula E, where he was crowned world champion in 2020/21 with Mercedes. The Dutchman has been linked to Maserati MSG, where Edoardo Mortara recently vacated his seat. It would also be conceivable for de Vries to run a double programme and compete in both series.
