When he entered F1, for the first time in Bahrain in 2016 and then continuously since the 2017 season, Stoffel Vandoorne had been heralded as a possible new star of the Circus. Dominator in all the categories faced previously, starting from GP2, the young Belgian talent had immediately conquered some points in the first GP disputed. Since then, however, his adventure in the premier series of motorsport had continued at the pace of the shrimp. Aided by a team totally in disarray like the McLaren of the time and a tough boxing mate like Fernando Alonso, Vandoorne had raised the white flag after just two seasons.
Leaving F1 behind, the Kortrijk native has been good at creating a new career among Formula E and endurance. In the electric series, the Belgian will defend the Mercedes colors again this season, together with reigning world champion Nyck De Vries. The 2022 championship started well for Vandoorne, who in the double opening round held in Diriyah won a second and a seventh place that currently place him in third place in the world championship standings. Speaking with the Belgian broadcaster RTBF, the 29-year-old electric series driver has admitted that he has now put a stone on Formula 1.
“If there was an opportunity, of course I would take it – explained Vandoorne – but only under certain conditions. I’m a realist though. I know that I will probably never get a new opportunity and honestly this is not a problem for me. I focus on the future, on Formula E, on endurance: my future is here “, he added. The former McLaren driver, who, speaking of the future, does not even rule out trying the adventure in IndyCar in the near future, however, he has no regrets for the way his career in the Circus has unfolded. “There are very few opportunities to enter F1 – he recalled – and despite the situation in which I found myself with McLaren, I could not refuse that opportunity. Unfortunately it was the worst period in their history: the car didn’t work well and the team was not politically stable “he concluded.
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