Nyck de Vries insists that he is not "better prepared" than other F1 rookies ahead of his debut full-time season in the sport. The Dutchman will race for AlphaTauri in 2023 but has previously been a familiar face in the paddock, having made Free Practice 1 appearances for teams including Mercedes and Aston Martin in 2022 as well as competing in the Italian Grand Prix in place of an unwell Alex Albon at Williams. De Vries has also won championships in Formula 2 and Formula E, seemingly giving him more motorsport experience than fellow rookies Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant. However, the 28-year-old believes that his Formula 1 mileage is perhaps similar to that of his rivals.
De Vries reflects on F1 experience
"In terms of Formula 1 mileage, if you actually would count it, I don't think that I'm better prepared than other rookies," de Vries told media, including RacingNews365.com , during pre-season testing in Bahrain. "I think both Oscar and Logan have done more kind of private testing. Oscar with Alpine, and actually Logan at Alpine as well, through Williams last winter." De Vries is not focussed on whether he is labelled as a rookie or not, but believes that his experience in motorsport has helped him to become a better driver. "I think that's almost irrelevant to me, whether I am titled as a rookie or not," he explained. "I'm very fortunate to be probably a little bit older and have had the opportunity to gather experience in different championships. "Those different experiences have helped me develop myself and become a more complete racing driver, so I think I'm ready." De Vries set the 13th fastest time of the day during the opening action in Bahrain.
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