Sebastian Vettel delivers blunt verdict on Red Bull’s call to axe Nyck de Vries

De Vries lost his seat with Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri with immediate effect, after just 10 F1 grands prix, and will be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo.

Vettel won his four F1 championships as a Red Bull driver but has watched this season unfold from the sidelines after retiring last year.

“I have to be honest, it’s obviously a shame for Nyck,” he told ITV.

“The way it came to an end. I think he got given a great chance, maybe things didn’t happen for him the way he expected or people expected but it’s also a bit harsh when it comes to a very sudden stop. It is brutal.

“I met him last year for the first time and he seemed like a really good person and he is a good driver.
“He won the F2 championship, he won international championships so he’s well recognised and I hope that this doesn’t put a dent in his confidence.

“So I have to also sympathise with the fact that it’s very harsh for him and I hope that people don’t [just] see that.

“Maybe those 10 races didn’t go according to how good they could have been. We don’t know why, first of all from the outside and second he is still a very good driver.”

Vettel reacted to his fellow veteran Ricciardo returning: “I’m very happy for Daniel. Very happy. I like him.

“Obviously I’ve raced with them and I met him at the test when I was shaking down the McLaren for this weekend [the Goodwood Festival of Speed].”