Nyck de Vries says that he found it remarkable how “shameless” certain people were after he made his Formula 1 debut at Monza last year.
The Dutchman was called up last minute to replace an unwell Alexander Albon at Williams and impressed en route to a ninth-place finish.
The strong performance saw him land a contract for the 2023 campaign with AlphaTauri, as he replaces the Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly.
De Vries says that some people reached out to him following the news, after not contacting him for some time.
“It’s extraordinary how shameless some people are,” the 27-year-old told De Telegraaf. “Types you haven’t heard from in a long time or who haven’t exactly been my biggest supporters and then they contact me again.
“I’m also not concerned with how I’m perceived by the outside world. This will be my first year in Formula 1.
“I would like to command respect through my performance and not through what I say on television. I will remain the same guy as before, in that respect nothing will change.”
Ahead of his full-season debut, de Vries has hired manager Guillaume Le Goff, who also looks after Gasly.
De Vries highlighted the importance of Le Goff’s presence beside him as he looks to make an impression on the F1 grid.
“It feels like it has come full circle again,” he said. “My father and mother split up when I was two years old. I grew up with my dad and my sister.
“It sounds a little annoying, but our family has always revolved around my career and racing. Especially in the early years and now there is so much involved.
“I need people around me that I trust and can build on. Guillaume, for example, I have also known for more than 10 years.
“My sister will take care of merchandise, the webshop and things like that. And in the background, my father also takes care of a lot of things for me.
“Especially after that race in Monza, all kinds of people suddenly came my way who wanted something from me. I do have to shield myself from that.”
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