The unpredictable and often harsh environment that exists within the Red Bull and AlphaTauri stables in Formula 1 has such strong shockwaves that it even affects paddocks that are completely unrelated to one other.
Before it was announced that Nick Cassidy would take Sam Bird’s place at Jaguar, one of the primary topics of discussion in the Formula E paddock was the predicament of 2021 champion Nyck de Vries and his recent departure from AlphaTauri before the halfway point of his first F1 season to make room for Daniel Ricciardo.
Many knowledgeable drivers sympathized with De Vries, who now appears certain to return to his former all-electric stomping ground in 2024—possibly with a WEC program in the opposite pocket as well.
About his experiences more than ten years ago, when he was on the verge of Formula One but couldn’t quite make it to the top step of the ladder, Antonio Felix da Costa has said pretty much everything that needs to be said.
Red Bull signed the Portuguese driver in 2012, and thanks to his impressive results in Formula Renault 3.5 and GP3, he appeared to be the top candidate for any F1 openings.
However, when a seat did become available, it was abruptly no longer the case. Da Costa never again made a significant appearance in discussions regarding a Toro Rosso F1 move, even though Red Bull continued to support him for a number of more years, getting him into the DTM and elevating him to an f1.
Da Costa had taken to Twitter a few hours prior to the announcement of De Vries’ departure, shocking the F1 paddock but also allowing some time for him to think about his future.
Da Costa admitted to The Race, “Honestly, I tweeted that in the morning of that, maybe six or seven hours [before]—I had no idea that was going to happen that day.”
“I had heard some rumors, but I also heard that Nyck might have continued racing until the end of the year at the very least.
In this sport, especially when it comes to Red Bull—we all know how merciless they are—things can change very rapidly. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong; we’re all aware of the reality of the situation.
Da Costa stated that he had personally been “a victim of timing in my own career and I think, to be honest, Nyck’s timing hasn’t been great” and characterized the choice to replace De Vries as “incredibly harsh.”
