Nyck de Vries has asserted that he saw his departure from the AlphaTauri team coming amid a series of lacklustre performances last year.
Having starred at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix for Williams, de Vries was handed a drive at AlphaTauri for the following campaign alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
However, the Dutchman struggled to get up to speed despite his vast resume in racing, which includes championship success in Formula 2 and Formula E.
Following the British Grand Prix, the team announced that de Vries would be replaced for the remainder of the year by Daniel Ricciardo.
De Vries has since secured his next full-time racing venture and will take part in the World Endurance Championship with Toyota as well as making a return to Formula E with Mahindra.
Reflecting on his F1 departure midway through his rookie year, de Vries told De Telegraaf that he received a lot of support after his axing.
"I think I was able to put it into perspective very quickly," De Vries said. "I received enormous support, all together I think I received about 4,000 messages.
“That has done me good. I could sit in a corner and cry, but that wouldn't help anyone. Of course it hurt.
“I don't think that's surprising. But everyone experiences good times and more difficult times. And yes, pain is also part of life."
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'Departure did not come as a surprise'
De Vries admitted that the resignation did not come out of the blue, but holds no grudge towards the decision-makers.
"I didn't get a lot of it and tried to distance myself from it as much as possible,” he said. “But at the same time, I can't say that the decision came as a total surprise.
“I'm not naive. Whether it is fair or just is actually totally irrelevant to me. Nor do I hold any grudge at all towards Helmut Marko, Daniel Ricciardo or his temporary replacement Liam Lawson.
“That is part of the business. I am very grateful for the opportunity I have been given."
De Vries added that he is not interested in analysing if expectations were too high for his maiden year.
"That's not how I look at it. I'm a perfectionist, so there are always situations and moments where in hindsight I think: I could have done that better.
“In the end, I think I wasn't quite in place there, at that moment. It just wasn't working. Formula 1 is something I have dreamed of for so long and then it stops so soon.
“That is a huge disappointment. But it's part of life and also a bit part of the sport.
"When you grow up as a young driver, Formula 1 is your only goal. The crown jewel of our sport. But I have learned and realized that there is more than that.
“Personally, I enjoyed Formula E and the WEC immensely, so I'm looking forward to that immensely now. Motor racing is more than Formula 1, although I understand that the general public may see it differently."
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