The F1 dilemma facing Mercedes' new world champion

After clinching the Formula E title at the Berlin finale, Nyck de Vries is a driver in demand. Although Mercedes would love to keep a reigning champion at the team, the allure of a Williams F1 drive may be too much for de Vries to ignore should a potential deal come to pass

Matt Kew Aug 17, 2021, 3:06 PM

Upd: Aug 19, 2021, 10:41 AM

The departure of Felipe Massa after his two underwhelming seasons at Venturi Racing, combined with the CVs of 2021 rookies Jake Dennis, Nick Cassidy and Norman Nato, has helped quash the allegation that Formula E is a payday for crestfallen ex-Formula 1 drivers.

But with the exceptional cameo of Pierre Gasly, who was drafted in to replace fixture-tied Sebastien Buemi at Renault e.dams in New York City in 2017, there’s yet to be a flow in the other direction. No bona fide FE driver has stepped up into a plum grand prix race seat.

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Author Matt Kew

Matt Kew is Autosport’s F1 Editor, a role he has held since March 2022 following stints covering Formula E, Extreme E and the British Touring Car Championship.

Matt joined Autosport in 2018 to work predominantly on the magazine, but his relentless quoting of Alan Partridge meant office colleagues soon thought he would be better-suited to increased field work.

Needless to say, Matt had the last laugh when he won the Motorsport UK Young Journalist of the Year Award in 2019.

His interest in motorsport was sparked by regular trips to watch ASCAR crash around Rockingham’s banked oval.

Matt read politics and philosophy at the University of Sheffield - receiving first-class honours for his dissertation assessing the lack of female participation in top-tier motor racing.

He covered a wide variety of national race and rally meetings for Autosport as a freelancer before joining full-time. His best efforts to argue the merits of historic racing are undone by a questionable taste in music and James Bond actors.