Vandoorne thrilled to have been able to drive the McLaren again

Stoffel Vandoorne had the privilege of driving the McLaren MP4-29 yesterday on the Silverstone circuit. The Belgian driver, a competitor in the GP2 Series championship this year with ART Grand Prix, spoke to journalists in an interview published on the official F1 website.

Vandoorne was delighted to be able to drive a F1 car again even though he wished to cover more than the 69 laps completed – which is more than the distance of a British Grand Prix (52 laps): « It was really nice to be back in the car. We did quite a few laps today, not as many as we hoped, but it was still a good day of running. We did some aero work in the morning – development stints – and in the afternoon, we did some work on tire degradation. »

Rather accustomed to working in the Woking simulator, the Belgian emphasized the importance of this tool to prepare for those moments spent in the cockpit of the MP4-29: « The work in the simulator is very important, especially for beginners. I do a lot of work there to be as well-prepared as possible when I’m in the car. I think it’s a great help for me. »

When asked if he had tested many new elements, the McLaren protégé responded in the negative: « No, not really, it was mainly about understanding the package we have. My job is to be as consistent as possible during the day so that the team gathers good data and can compare what we are testing on the car. »

Vandoorne hadn’t driven the McLaren since May, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and he believes the black and gray single-seater has made progress since then: « I could feel the improvements, which is very encouraging. Of course, there is still work to be done, but it’s great to see progress. […] It’s difficult to say specifically where the improvements are – I think it’s more general in terms of downforce. »