Update | Marko: "Ricciardo knew before the test at Silverstone that De Vries' seat would be his"

Nyck de Vries allegedly received the news of being replaced at AlphaTauri approximately an hour after the start of Daniel Ricciardo's tire test. The position of the Dutch driver was already precarious, but Ricciardo's impressive lap times ultimately sealed De Vries' fate. After a phone call with Christian Horner regarding the multiple race winner's test, Helmut Marko immediately delivered the bad news to De Vries. De Vries' management ensured that the news spread faster than planned.

De Vries' dismissal and Ricciardo's appointment gained momentum on Tuesday. Ricciardo's fast lap times were said to have made an impression, prompting Marko to inform De Vries. "Horner called Marko about an hour after the test had begun, just to tell him how impressive the pace was," ESPN reports. "Marko called back shortly after to tell Horner that he had just fired De Vries."

The Dutch driver had reportedly feared for his position within AlphaTauri since Sunday night after the British Grand Prix. Ricciardo's test was the straw that broke the camel's back. Several media outlets reported on Tuesday that the Australian's times were genuinely impressive. Ricciardo's fastest lap would have been quick enough to qualify on the front row on Saturday, something Sergio Pérez failed to achieve. This does not take into account the different conditions.

Management De Vries ruins Red Bull's plans

Shortly after Marko's phone call, De Vries' management sought revenge on Red Bull. It was not the plan for the news to be revealed on Tuesday. "De Vries' manager tipped off some Dutch journalists, resulting in the news coming out around noon on Tuesday. That forced Red Bull to make the announcement quite quickly that afternoon, whereas the original plan was to go public with the news later this week."

Update 11:10 am (07/13) | Marko: "Ricciardo knew before the test at Silverstone that De Vries' seat would be his"

Helmut Marko has indicated that Daniel Ricciardo was informed earlier that he was a candidate for Nyck de Vries' seat. De Vries himself received the bad news during Ricciardo's test, but the Australian knew that he had to put in good laps in the RB19. Marko is pleased with the return of the multiple race winner. "Daniel will now also be the benchmark for Yuki Tsunoda. And something else: Daniel knew before the tests at Silverstone that he would get the seat at AlphaTauri if he could perform. He has more than survived that situation," said the Red Bull Racing advisor to F1-Insider.