Nyck De Vries returns to driving in F1: test session with McLaren. Nyck De Vries was spotted behind the wheel of the McLaren MCL36 during a series of tests.

Dutch driver Nyck De Vries was spotted behind the wheel of the MCL36 during a series of tests conducted by the Woking-based team.

Nyck De Vries competed in F1 last season for AlphaTauri alongside Yuki Tsunoda. However, midway through the season, Red Bull opted to replace him with Daniel Ricciardo, leaving the Dutchman without a seat after a challenging start to his campaign.

In the 2024 season, Nyck De Vries has been competing in Formula E with the Mahindra team and is preparing to continue in the premier electric racing series next year. Additionally, he has ventured into the World Endurance Championship (WEC), racing with Toyota.

Nyck De Vries Back in an F1 Car: A Possible Return as Third Driver?

Despite his focus on other series, Formula 1 remains on Nyck De Vries’ radar. After completing tests in Formula E, he returned to an F1 car for McLaren. According to *RacingNews365*, this was not a Pirelli tire test but a TPC (Testing Previous Cars) session.

With cars from two seasons prior, there are no regulatory restrictions, allowing teams to use them for private testing. Such sessions are often carried out as part of development programs involving specific drivers.

The reason behind Nyck De Vries’ McLaren test remains unclear. However, McLaren’s current reserve driver and Formula 2 championship leader, Gabriel Bortoleto, is set to join Stake at the end of the season. Nyck De Vries, who was previously part of McLaren’s development program, could be considered to fill Bortoleto’s role and assist McLaren in their development efforts. Time will tell.