De Vries reacts to exit rumours: “It’s not a shock to me”, “too many mistakes"

De Vries has endured a difficult first five races to F1 2023, with a combination of lack of pace and high-profile mistakes.

During the interval between Miami and the later-cancelled Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, speculation grew regarding his future, particularly after Red Bull’s Helmut Marko showed him the ‘yellow card’. 

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, de Vries was asked about the speculation.

“I mean, it’s not a shock to me, it’s normal, it’s this industry, it’s always been like that in Red Bull and in F1,” he said.

“I genuinely believe it’s not different than earlier in the season. You’ve always got to perform, you’ve always got to deliver, and I’ve had that throughout my whole career. 

“As a driver, you always kind of fight for your survival, and you always need to deliver to continue your career forward successfully. So it’s kind of normal, it’s how it’s been always.”

While de Vries is generally happy with the level of pace he has shown on several occasions, he conceded that he’s “made too many mistakes”.

“I definitely think I’ve personally made too many mistakes, I will admit that very openly,” he added.

“I also believe that the pace has been strong at several moments, and that kind of encourages me and gives me confidence. 

“But I haven’t been able to execute at the end, and haven’t been able to put it together. I do believe the speed has been there, but equally I made too many mistakes to turn that into a result."