Stoffel Vandoorne: Sacrifice of a Talent on the Altar of F1

We are on April 3, 2016, and the world of Formula 1 is discovering the talent of McLaren reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne. Called upon to replace Fernando Alonso, who had suffered a violent crash in Australia a few days earlier, the Belgian takes the seat of the two-time world champion for a race in Bahrain.

Concluding a weekend of racing managed in all aspects with a superb 10th place, the F1 world is certain to see Stoffel Vandoorne as a future world champion.

Praised by his peers and impressing his team from his first real test, the native of Courtrai was given a starting position the following season in the Woking team alongside Fernando Alonso.

Words from McLaren’s competition director at the time, Eric Boullier, «McLaren could not invest in a better prospect».

The Frenchman is confident in his choice, highlighting the young recruit’s race intelligence and technical understanding.

Two seasons later, the contrast is striking. Stoffel Vandoorne loses his seat for 2019.

Multiple karting champion, F4 Eurocup 1.6 champion in 2010, Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup champion in 2012, GP2 champion in 2015 setting numerous records, how could a boy undeniably brimming with talent face such a failure?

McLaren structure responsible?

The British structure had clearly brought forth a champion after integrating Stoffel Vandoorne into their network in 2013 through the “Young Driver Program”. From success to success, F1 was a logical continuation, especially since his 2016 test in Bahrain was convincing.

Declaring upon his arrival « I am here for a long time and that is why my primary ambition is to rebuild a solid relationship with the team ». The young Belgian could not have anticipated what would follow.

We were able to observe that through the McLaren-Honda program, the Woking team, confident in its chassis and shifting the blame to the Japanese engine supplier, was clearly not a fan of self-reflection.

It is logical to conclude that the difficulties faced by Stoffel Vandoorne originated from the driver and not the car.

Hampered by numerous mechanical issues and a lack of confidence from the team, the Belgian is clearly not at ease and no one is helping him. Struggling to finish the few Grand Prix spared by mechanical failures, he manages to secure only 13 points in his first F1 season, placing the ambitions of both the driver and the team light years away from those announced at the beginning of the year.

Next season: new engine supplier, same situation. The car doesn’t work and Stoffel Vandoorne is invisible. While some blame him for a lack of aggressiveness, his team abandons him and gradually starts putting pressure on him through the media. His place is threatened. The Belgian is struggling and seems alone in this long walk through the desert. The Belgian driver seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Alonso, best enemy?

Who wouldn’t dream of debuting in Formula 1 alongside Fernando Alonso? The young Belgian confirms, “I have an excellent teammate in the person of Fernando Alonso, who will be an excellent reference point for me.”

Confident, Stoffel Vandoorne approaches the relationship under the best auspices and intends to learn from the double world champion without necessarily trying to beat him.

« Beating him is not at the top of my list. I’m not obsessed with Fernando », says the Belgian.

The Iberian champion is not, however, very docile as a teammate. While the relationship is good between the two drivers, Fernando Alonso has clearly made his mark on McLaren and does not intend to let it go. He remains the priority when it comes to the settings. Stoffel Vandoorne is unable to implement his preferences and gets stuck in a car he does not set up.

Fernando Alonso is undeniably the number one driver and overshadows Stoffel Vandoorne. Too much shadow… he remains in the background behind the charisma of the Spanish champion. However, the latter is full of praise for the Belgian driver, stating that Stoffel Vandoorne is “one of the best talents in the paddock” and that he is “closer to him than Räikkönen” in terms of lap times.

The former Ferrari driver, regularly dominating his teammate in qualifying and races, does not shy away from putting himself in the spotlight. While he boasts throughout the season about his performances in qualifying sessions, he clearly contributes to undermining the Belgian’s confidence. The latter can only observe the situation favoring the Spaniard, who dominates him to a staggering 21-0 in qualifying at the wheel of a car designed by a team committed to his cause.

If it is not easy to start the competition alongside a driver with recognized talent due to constant comparison, Vandoorne has clearly shown other signs of nervousness during a few comparative tests against young Lando Norris, who will take his seat. The issue seems deeper…

Question of trust?

If the competitive framework of Stoffel Vandoorne seems undeniably against him, he nevertheless did not perform poorly by the end of the 2018 season, even if he only secured 12 points and a 16th place overall.

Trust regularly eroded by poor performances and by a sporting environment that does not support him, he sees his status as a driving genius gradually fade away. The desire and rage to win diminish, and this inevitably affects his performances on the track.

His impressive duels remain all the more anonymous in view of the cameras, being in the middle of the pack. Thus, his fine 8th place in Mexico will remain unnoticed, despite starting from the back of the grid. His strong Hungarian race should also have ended in the points with a promised 9th place before a mechanical issue disrupted his momentum. Still managed a 9th place in Baku, despite three pit stops.

Often unlucky, the discreet Belgian will always remain correct towards his team at the media level. Always positive, he nevertheless saw his promising career trajectory halted at the end of the season when McLaren announced his replacement by Lando Norris. After a few closed team doors, he joined Esteban Ocon on the bench of talents expelled from Formula 1 in 2019.

If the French driver finds refuge as the 3rd Mercedes driver, refusing to leave the discipline even if it means not racing, the Belgian turns to Formula E by joining the HWA team, closely linked to Mercedes. The German team, which secures Stoffel Vandoorne’s services as a simulation driver, is aware of his talent.

Despite disappointing initial races in Formula E with 0 points after 3 races, let’s hope that the Belgian talent can return to the spotlight on the podiums and perhaps even seek revenge in Formula 1.