Nyck de Vries thinks it’s “implausible” that McLaren shall be enter the World Endurance Championship’s prime class subsequent 12 months, however didn’t give a agency reply when requested if he had had any discussions with the group.
De Vries joined Toyota’s Hypercar squad in 2024 and in addition stays lively in Formulation E with Mahindra.
Along with his WEC and Formulation E duties, the Dutchman additionally serves as a take a look at and simulator driver for McLaren’s Formulation 1 group. On Monday, the British group unveiled its new LMDh prototype for the 2027 season, the MCL-HY, following its shakedown in Italy.
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De Vries emphasised that his roles at Toyota and McLaren are “utterly separate” and that he’s “very completely satisfied” at Toyota.
“In any other case, I’m curious, as an outsider, to see how that mission develops,” he advised Motorsport.com Netherlands, referring to McLaren’s Hypercar programme.
“After all, McLaren is a profitable racing group and group. For the WEC, it’s implausible to have a model like McLaren on board. I’m curious to see how they’ll do.”
When requested whether or not McLaren had nonetheless held talks with him about the potential of becoming a member of that Hypercar mission, De Vries replied: “I’ll maintain that to myself.”
De Vries stated he feels at house at Toyota and believes he can proceed to construct his profession with the Japanese producer for years to return.
“Undoubtedly,” he stated. “I’m very completely satisfied inside the group. I’m very completely satisfied inside the organisation. I’m actually having fun with myself. I really feel like we’ve gotten off to begin this 12 months. Toyota is, after all, one of the vital profitable groups of the previous 10 years on this championship. So sure, I’m very pleased with the place I’m.”
De Vries completed third at Imola.
Picture by: FIA WEC / DPPI
Looking forward to Spa
Eventually month’s season opener in Imola, de Vries completed on the rostrum in third place alongside his Toyota team-mates Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi, whereas the sister #8 TR010 pushed by Sebastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa and Brendon Hartley gained the race.
However this weekend’s Belgian spherical provides a totally totally different problem, with Spa-Francorchamps that includes quicker corners and longer straights. De Vries, nevertheless, doesn’t wish to enterprise too many predictions simply but, since testing has solely taken place at Imola, and in his view, that can be a “utterly totally different” circuit.
“After all, we hope we’ve improved on a few of our previous shortcomings. We’re trying ahead to seeing how this weekend performs out for us and the way aggressive we may be,” he stated. “However by way of expectations, I can’t say a lot, to be trustworthy.
“We haven’t been right here for a 12 months, and Imola is a totally totally different monitor. Throughout testing, you don’t actually get the prospect to measure your self towards the competitors. So for us, it’s additionally partly uncharted territory.”
When requested in regards to the automotive’s shortcomings, de Vries emphasises that they primarily contain minor refinements in comparison with final 12 months’s GR010 Hybrid.
“Similar to each F1 group, we have now sure areas the place we have now room for enchancment in comparison with the competitors. However these are small particulars you’re employed on; they aren’t elementary modifications,” stated the 31-year-old Dutchman.
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