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Nyck de Vries next in line for Formula 1 promotion

Nyck de Vries hopes he is the next Formula 2 driver who makes the big break into Formula 1.

Last year, George Russell, Lando Norris and Alexander Albon finished first, second and third in the F2 championship - and all three are moving into F1 this year.

'No better than me'

Just behind them in the standings was 23-year-old Dutchman de Vries.

READ: Britain's George Russell signs for Williams F1 team

He hopes another F2 season will finally be his springboard onto the F1 grid.

"The last seven champions were all promoted to F1," de Vries told Het Friesch Dagblad, a Dutch newspaper.

"I don't want to sound arrogant at all, but Norris and Albon were really no better than me.

De Vries remains cautious

"Norris won only one race, Albon won four and I won three," he said.

Mick Schumacher is the high-profile F2 driver for 2019, but it might be said that de Vries is actually the favourite.

"I'm the favourite? I have learned not to get ahead of myself," de Vries insisted.

"But I grew up with about 70% of the current F1 grid. Of course it's sometimes frustrating to see that they are there now and I'm not, but everyone walks their own path. It's just easier for some than for others," he said.

De Vries remains a simulator driver for McLaren, and says he has not given up on his dream of racing in F1.

"That is has not worked out yet is absolutely not at the expense of my belief in my chances to get to F1. Once you lose that belief, you'd better stop," he said.

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