De Vries next in line for F1 promotion

Nyck de Vries hopes he is the next Formula 2 driver who makes the big break into formula one.

Last year, George Russell, Lando Norris and Alexander Albon finished first, second and third in the F2 championship — and all three are moving into F1 this year.

Just behind them in the standings was 23-year-old Dutchman de Vries.

He hopes another F2 season will finally be his springboard onto the F1 grid.

"The last seven champions were all promoted to formula one," de Vries told Het Friesch Dagblad, a Dutch newspaper.

"I don’t want to sound arrogant at all, but Norris and Albon were really no better than me.

"Norris won only one race, Albon won four and I won three," he said.

Mick Schumacher is the high-profile F2 driver for 2019, but it might be said that de Vries is actually the favourite.

"I’m the favourite? I have learned not to get ahead of myself," de Vries insisted.

"But I grew up with about 70 per cent of the current F1 grid. Of course it’s sometimes frustrating to see that they are there now and I’m not, but everyone walks their own path. It’s just easier for some than for others," he said.

De Vries remains a simulator driver for McLaren, and says he has not given up on his dream of racing in formula one.

"That is has not worked out yet is absolutely not at the expense of my belief in my chances to get to formula one. Once you lose that belief, you’d better stop," he said.