On the eve of his debut in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, reigning F2 champion and Mercedes-Benz EQ driver Nyck de Vries claims his target is simply 'to beat them all.' With 23 top talents standing in his way, will the Dutchman make his mark early on in the season?
With just hours until Mercedes-Benz EQ driver Nyck de Vries takes to the track for the very first time in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the Dutchman is aiming for nothing short of a championship title.
Despite facing one of the most competitive line ups in motorsport history - with new arrivals Porsche adding to the host of top-level manufacturers - de Vries is looking to be fighting at the front when the lights go green for the first race of the season on November 22.
"Hopefully, we can be fighting at the front soon but at the moment, it's a bit unknown for us...We are here with 24 cars on the grid and ultimately our target is to beat them all," said the Dutchman confidently.
Following technical issues during pre-season testing in Valencia, de Vries was confined to the garage for a significant time during the three days. Joining Mercedes ahead of its debut season as a full works squad in the Championship, de Vries will need to stay close to his more experienced teammate Stoffel Vandoorne if he is to make an impact early on in the season.
"Valencia was a tough start...but it was really good to go through everything that we would go through on a race weekend.
"We are humble in our approach as we know it's a super competitive championship from a manufacturer point of view. We hope that we can make steps quickly and be fighting at the front as soon as possible."
Despite his rookie status, de Vries arrives in Formula E fresh from winning the 2019 F2 Championship earlier in the year. Now facing a new challenge in the form of close-combat city street racing, time will tell if the Dutchman has the skills to make it to the top step of the podium on his maiden season.