The lost F1 drivers who only got one shot at glory
Formula 1 history is liberally sprinkled with drivers who contested just a single season – or less. But some of these arrived with impressive competition records and could have achieved more. JAMES NEWBOLD reveals what happened to cut these promising top-flight careers so short
Formula 1 is a ruthless business. A reminder of that fact was dealt this week by the news that AlphaTauri had dispensed with Nyck de Vries's services just 10 races into the 2023 campaign.
The Dutchman therefore becomes the latest talented driver to see their F1 aspirations shut almost before they’d had time to get their feet under the table, for a variety of reasons often not of their doing. However, he doesn't technically qualify for inclusion in this list of drivers, given he made his debut with Williams at Monza last year and his brief F1 career therefore spans two calendar seasons.
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