Nyck de Vries admits world champion, Dutch countryman and friend Max Verstappen “put in a good word for me” that ultimately led to a 2023 Formula 1 contract. After de Vries, 27, caused a stir on debut at Monza by scoring points in the sick Alex Albon’s Williams, he sat down for dinner on the Monday night with Verstappen. After de Vries’ call to Marko, the pair met at the 79-year-old Austrian’s office in Graz, Austria. “Everything accelerated when I had the appointment with Marko,” de Vries told de Telegraaf newspaper. “It’s also true that Max put in a good word for me. For his part, Marko said Red Bull would have retained Gasly if a driver of de Vries’ calibre hadn’t become available. De Vries, on the other hand, impressed both in Formula E and in Monza.

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