De Vries refuses to be beaten by Formula E's brutal first half

Nyck de Vries is not a man given to self-pity. Despite enduring one of the most punishing first halves of a Formula E season imaginable, the Dutchman is keeping his focus firmly fixed ahead — and refusing to let the accumulation of misfortune define his campaign.

A Season Defined by Misfortune

The causes have been mixed. De Vries has been involved in his fair share of incidents, most notably at the opening corner in São Paulo and again early in Madrid — collisions that, at least in part, he has had to acknowledge were of his own making. But technical failures have also played a significant role, stripping him of results his raw speed deserved.

Perhaps the most cruel moment came in the second Berlin race last weekend, where de Vries found himself the unfortunate victim of a four-car sandwich — the kind of chaotic, nothing-you-can-do incident that is an occupational hazard in Formula E's close-quarters racing. The Berlin E-Prix weekend in general was not without controversy, with Sébastien Buemi also slamming the "convoy" pack racing tactics that defined the double-header.

Accepting the Reality, Not the Victimhood

What is striking about de Vries is not just his composure, but his refusal to cast himself as a victim — even when the evidence for victimhood is considerable.

"Of course, I'm very disappointed, but it's just the reality," he added. "What else can you say? I'm not the type of person who likes to see myself as a victim, or say, 'all this shit is happening to us'. It's just the way it is. Sometimes, yeah, you have some bumps in the road."

He has shown genuine pace over a single lap this season, suggesting the underlying platform is there. The gap between potential and points, however, has rarely been wider — and that is what makes his situation simultaneously easy to understand and deeply frustrating to watch.

His measured attitude reflects a broader philosophical acceptance of Formula E's unpredictability. As de Vries himself put it: "If you analyse many seasons, it happens to everyone. So yeah, it's just the way it is."

With Formula E's next double-header heading to Monaco for Rounds 9 and 10, de Vries will be desperate to translate that banked composure into points — and finally give a truer reflection of where he and Mahindra genuinely stand.

For now, though, the message from the Dutchman is clear: reset, continue, and ride it out.