McLaren-Honda's Stoffel Vandoorne feels he's turned season around
Stoffel Vandoorne believes his Monaco Grand Prix pace shows he has made a breakthrough in his so-far tough first full Formula 1 season with McLaren-Honda
Having made it through to Q3 for the first time this year in Monte Carlo, and been in a position to fight for points, Vandoorne left the event feeling encouraged despite ultimately crashing in both qualifying and the race.
He said efforts to get a set-up he likes are finally paying off and he now feels able to push harder.
"I've been working hard with the team to understand what I need exactly from the car," Vandoorne told Autosport.
"I think that has taken a little bit of time at the start of the season but I am feeling more and more comfortable with the way we are going, and the way I am driving the car and the set-up.
"Everything is falling into place and I think everything is there to repeat that now."
Vandoorne had failed to make it out of Q1 before Monaco while team-mate Fernando Alonso shone in qualifying, even earning seventh on the grid in Spain.
Asked if he felt that had ramped up pressure on him, Vandoorne replied: "I didn't really feel the pressure to be honest. I know that I am capable of delivering.
"I've been through a couple of difficult times in the junior series, but obviously it is completely different to what it is in F1.
"I am always confident that when I get on top of the issues and work hard with the team that at some point the switch will be there and then we will perform.
"I think we've made a very good step in that direction now, and hopefully we can start seeing the results of that.
"Monaco was definitely a good step forward for us."
HONDA LEAVES A QUESTION MARK
While Vandoorne is happy with his set-up solutions and the progress McLaren has made with its chassis, he knows that Honda's power deficit is still holding the team back.
"We know that we lack a big amount of power, and unfortunately it is always a bit of a question mark now to us - if we had that much more power, what would be possible to achieve?" he said.
But Vandoorne believes recent chassis progress has kept McLaren's morale up.
"I think actually there has been some positive vibes because the car is moving in the right direction," he said.
"Everything we've done in terms of parts, bringing upgrades to the track, they have more or less delivered the way we have wanted, and that has been good for the team to see the competitiveness of the car."
Previous article
Grosjean got Friday practice guarantee in his Haas F1 contract
Next article
Ricciardo: Red Bull has 'proper' development direction for F1 car
The floundering fortunes of F1’s many Lotus reboots
Team Lotus ceased to exist in 1994 - and yet various parties have been trying to resurrect the hallowed name, in increasingly unrecognisable forms, ever since. DAMIEN SMITH brings GP Racing’s history of the legendary team to an end with a look at those who sought to keep the flame alive in Formula 1
Why the 2021 title fight is far from F1's worst, despite its toxic background
OPINION: Formula 1 reconvenes for the Russian Grand Prix two weeks after the latest blow in ‘Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton’. While the Silverstone and Monza incidents were controversial, they thankfully lacked one element that so far separates the 2021 title fight from the worst examples of ugly championship battles
How F1’s other champion to emerge from 1991 thrived at Lotus
Mika Hakkinen became Michael Schumacher’s biggest rival in Formula 1 in the late-90s and early 2000s, having also made his F1 debut in 1991. But as MARK GALLAGHER recalls, while Schumacher wowed the world with a car that was eminently capable, Hakkinen was fighting to make his mark with a famous team in terminal decline
The forgotten F1 comeback that began Jordan’s odyssey
Before Michael Schumacher – or anyone else – had driven the 191 (or 911 as it was initially called), Eddie Jordan turned to a fellow Irishman to test his new Formula 1 car. JOHN WATSON, a grand prix winner for Penske and McLaren, recalls his role in the birth of a legend…
The squandered potential of a 70s F1 underdog
A podium finisher in its first outing but then never again, the BRM P201 was a classic case of an opportunity squandered by disorganisation and complacency, says STUART CODLING
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
