Ex-F1 driver on de Vries future: "The decision has been made"

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher claims that Nyck de Vries will be dropped from his AlphaTauri drive after the summer break.

De Vries has struggled in his maiden season in F1, failing to score a point and being comprehensively outshone by teammate Yuki Tsunoda, and the Dutchman has been publicly criticised by senior Red Bull figures such as Helmut Marko and Christian Horner.

The Dutchman’s underperformance has fuelled speculation that he may be set to be replaced by the likes of Daniel Ricciardo or Red Bull junior Liam Lawson, and Schumacher says the decision to drop de Vries has already been taken.

"The decision has been made, I'm pretty sure of that," Schumacher told Sky Germany.

"It's a shame for him that he probably won't be able to drive [his home race in] Zandvoort.

"[De Vries] will no longer be in the car after the summer break."

F1's four-week summer break begins after the Belgian Grand Prix on July 30, with action not resuming until the Dutch Grand Prix on August 27, meaning de Vries would miss his home race if he were dropped after Spa.