Born	6/02/1995, Uitwellingerga, Friesland
Nationality	Dutch

Fifteen years after he originally joined McLaren as a member of our Young Driver Programme, Nyck de Vries returned to the team as a Test and Simulator Driver, where he plays a critical role in car development or race weekend setup. 

Highly rated from a young age, McLaren signed the Uitwellingerga-born racer to its Young Driver Programme, a previous iteration of the current Driver Development Programme, when he was still in karting. The Dutchman won back-to-back Karting World Championships in 2010 and 2011, before stepping up to single-seater racing in 2012, competing in Formula Renault 2.0. 

He picked up three wins in his first two years, before claiming a double in 2014, finishing as Champion in Formula Renault 2.0 Alps and Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup. The following season, he finished third in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, before making the step up to GP3 for 2016, where he finished sixth in his rookie season.  

In his first two Formula 2 seasons, Nyck was up against some of the series’ most successful alumni, including Lando, Charles Leclerc, Alex Albon, and George Russell. After seventh and fourth place finishes in his rookie and sophomore seasons, Nyck dominated the Championship in 2019, finishing first with 12 podiums, including four wins.  

After his F2 Championship win in 2019, Nyck graduated to a full-time drive in Formula E with the Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team, where he notched four points finishes and a podium in his rookie season. A first win followed in the opening race of the 2020/21 season, as he started his sophomore year in blistering form. He claimed another victory and two podiums to become the first FIA-sanctioned Formula E World Champion, beating runner-up Edoardo Mortara by seven points.  

Nyck’s form in the all-electric series piqued the interest of the Formula 1 grid, earning him a substitute appearance for Williams in the 2022 Grand Prix, where he impressed by scoring points in his first-ever race. Alpha Tauri signed him on a full-time basis for 2023, although his sole season in Formula 1 would last just 10 races, as he was replaced by Daniel Ricciardo ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.  

A return to Formula E beckoned, this time with Mahindra, along with fresh ambitions to clinch a second World Championship. Nyck also signed with Toyota Gazoo Racing in the Hyperclass of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), with whom he had previously served as a Reserve Driver. In his first season with the team, they finished second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and third overall in the Championship.  

Nyck combines his racing responsibilities with a role as a Test and Simulator Driver at McLaren. A thoughtful and methodical operator, Nyck works closely with the test and simulator teams at the McLaren factory in Woking. His insight and feedback play a vital role in car development and across race weekends, where he works with Lando, Oscar, and our engineering team on setup for Qualifying and the race.