10/11/2015
NEWS STORY
2015 GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne has confirmed that he will be McLaren's test and reserve driver in 2016.
The Belgian, who had previously won the 2010 Formula Renault 1.6 and 2012 Formula Renault 2.0 titles, added the GP2 title to his collection at Sochi with just one round remaining.
Barred from defending his GP2 title, the youngster is considering other options including Super Formula in Japan, determined to continue racing alongside his McLaren role.
"There are definitely some possibilities," he told his team's website. "I'll be doing a Super Formula test soon and as McLaren's test and reserve driver I'll be in the F1 paddock, so I should be in a good position.
"The Super Formula car is definitely a good car," he continued, "it's at least as quick as a GP2 car or maybe even quicker. I want to keep racing alongside (the McLaren role), and I think Super Formula is one of the options, but it's not decided yet whether I'm going to do it or not.
"I definitely want to race something next year," he admits, "but what it will be we don't know yet. There's definitely some options though, and we're talking about them. Obviously I want to race something to stay sharp, to stay fit, and to stay focused, so we'll see what comes out. If you stay sharp, fit and focused, then if any opportunity arises in F1 you're 100 percent ready to jump in.
"Every year you do, in every series, it's great experience," he adds. "Even in F1, every year you do is more experience. Even Jenson and Fernando, they learn a little bit more every weekend."
Asked if a season in Super Formula might even be good preparation for 2017-spec F1, he replies: "Yeah! The Super Formula cars are really quick. Okay, you don't have that much horsepower, but the cornering speeds are very impressive indeed. For sure they're quicker around the corners than F1 cars nowadays.
"As for 2017, at the moment I don't know how much 2017-focused testing there will be in 2016 - that's going to depend on how the rules are written. In recent years it's been very difficult for young drivers to get a lot of mileage in an F1 car, so I hope we get more in-season testing next year.
"This is my fourth season at McLaren," he adds. "I was enrolled on the Young Driver Programme in 2013, I was reserve driver last year, and I was test and development driver this year, so I know all the people around the place already. I know the race team particularly well, and I'm very close to many of them, and to many people at the factory as well. I've spent a lot of time there, in the simulator, so I really feel very involved in the team, and we have a very good relationship together. I spend time in the simulator before every race weekend, to try and get a good baseline set-up ready, and then after the weekend too."
Asked if he feels he's improved as a driver this season, he is clearly in no doubt. "Yeah, definitely," he replies. "I think I understood much more how to put the GP2 championship together, when to take risks and when not to take risks.
"As you know, the second race in GP2 is always the reverse grid race, so it makes things a little bit more tricky to start from further back down the grid. That's been my biggest improvement this year. Last year, I was quite strong in the first races, but I never really managed to record good enough results in the reverse-grid races. This year I've managed to be on the podium in almost all the races during most weekends, so I think that's been my biggest improvement this year."
Finally, the step up to a full (F1) race seat would see Belgium represented on the grid once again.
"Definitely," he replies. "I feel like I've had a lot more support during this season, and it's good to see that. It would be good for Belgium to have another F1 driver. It's been a bit of a while since we've had a very successful one - Jacky Ickx is the obvious example. My dream is to be in F1 and be successful. Until now, every championship I've been in, I've been pretty successful, so I feel I can do that in F1 as well."