Stoffel Vandoorne believes he can avoid Kevin Magnussen's F1 fate

After a season racing alongside Jenson Button at McLaren in 2014, Magnussen was demoted to reserve as the team chose to keep Button in the seat alongside the returning Fernando Alonso.

The Dane stood in for Alonso in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, but failed to start the race and did not get any time in the car for the rest of the season nor race in another series before the team parted ways with him.

"We are both very different and our positions were quite different," said GP2 champion Vandoorne when asked by Autosport if he had learned anything from Magnussen's experience.

"Kevin came off the back of a Formula 1 campaign and was the reserve for a season without possibilities to race anything beside that.

"Kevin didn't have a lot of track time but hopefully in my case, it will be quite a bit different.

"If the Super Formula deal goes ahead, I will also have some racing experience.

"Hopefully I'll have some F1 testing beside that as well so it will be quite a bit different."

Vandoorne, who will be in the McLaren for both days of next week's Pirelli wet test, did a day's testing for the Honda-power Team Dandelion Racing Super Formula squad at Suzuka late last year and is hopeful a deal will be completed shortly.

"We are still working on it at the moment, but it's no secret it is going in that direction," he said.

"There are still talks between McLaren and Honda but I'm confident that the deal will happen soon.

"If everything goes in that direction, it'll be a very busy year for me."

Vandoorne believes a racing in Super Formula will be important for his chances of promotion to a F1 race seat in 2017.

"It will keep me race sharp and they have great cornering speed which I think is good preparation for 2017," he said.

"Nothing has been promised, but I'm working on getting into F1. That's definitely where I want to be.

"I already wanted to be there this year, I feel 100 peer cent to be there.

"Unfortunately there were no places available this season so I have to work for 2017.

"I feel I'm in the right place, there's no guarantees for 2017 but it is a good place for me to be here."