The FIA has confirmed that Nyck De Vries will drive under number 21 when he makes his full-season debut next year.
The Dutchman will race alongside Yuki Tsunoda at Alpha Tauri next year, replacing Pierre Gasly who will move to Alpine.
De Vries, an ex-Formula 2 and Formula E champion, found himself in Alex Albon’s Williams earlier this year in Monza while Albon suffered with appendicitis. In his first F1 race, he finished in ninth place above three-year F1 veteran and teammate Nicholas Latifi.
Following his successful first outing, his good friend Max Verstappen prompted him to call Dr Helmut Marko at Red Bull and he was soon announced to be filling the vacant seat left behind by Gasly.
De Vries has already set a record in Formula 1 even before he permanently joins Alpha Tauri; when the Dutchman took part in the Alpha Tauri Young Driver Test after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he had been behind the wheel for a total of five different teams in 2022. As well as being reserve driver and taking part in practice sessions with Mercedes, the 27-year-old also drove in FP1 sessions for Aston Martin and Williams, and completed a special practice session with Alpine.
De Vries is the first driver since Esteban Gutierrez to run a car in F1 under number 21; the Mexican last raced in F1 in 2016 with Haas.
The other two F1 rookies in the 2023 field, Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant, will run 81 and 2 respectively.