The Dutchman, who took part in Free Practice 1 on Friday with Aston Martin, was the driver chosen at the last minute after Alexander Albon felt unwell this Saturday morning.
Thus, the young de Vries will contest the remainder of the Italian GP ( FP3, qualifying and race ) instead of the Thai.
The statement issued by Williams read as follows: “Williams Racing can confirm that, after feeling unwell this morning and seeking medical advice from the FIA and the local hospital, Alex Albon is being treated for appendicitis.”
“As a result of this, we can confirm that the team’s reserve driver, Nyck de Vries, will drive in place of Alex for the remainder of the Italian Grand Prix weekend. Alex is in good spirits and the team wishes him a speedy recovery. “.
Nyck de Vries contested the FP1 of the Italian GP with Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin
De Vries has been the reserve driver for Mercedes and its customer teams this season having joined the German manufacturer’s junior programme.
In his quest to secure a full-time seat for 2023, Mercedes has helped him secure several Friday practice sessions.
At the Spanish Grand Prix he contested FP1 with Williams, while at Paul Ricard he drove Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.
His session with the Aston Martin this Friday at Monza offered him the opportunity to test a third different car this season.
De Vries is a former karting world champion who first belonged to the McLaren team as part of their youth system starting in 2010.
But despite winning several major championships on his rise to the top flight, including the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2014 and Formula 2 in 2019, he failed to get any shots at F1 and left the Woking program at the end of that F2 run. .
He moved to Formula E joining Mercedes, and won the world championship title in the 2020-2021 season.
The partnership with the Silver Arrows opened up the opportunity for him to rack up more miles in Formula 1 cars and he remains a contender for a starting seat in 2023. Williams looks like an obvious choice, so this weekend may be decisive.
