Stoffel Vandoorne: “No quick solutions possible”

Are the current difficulties spoiling your pleasure of starting again in F1 ?

No, the excitement is there. There are twenty drivers on the grid, I am lucky to be one of them and in one of the very best teams. I'm happy to spend as much time in the car as possible. Nothing has changed, nothing is affected.

Yes, we are in a difficult situation, but we continue to push, trying to get the best of what we have at the moment.

How do you feel about your engine problems? Are you dealing with simple problems that Honda can fix or is it deeper? Is this linked to the Japanese motorsport culture or their approach?

Delicate question... The last two seasons have been difficult but, at the same time, great progress has been made. Honda had been away from F1 for a long time and had a lot of catching up to do. We had to learn this incredibly complicated new technology, while getting up to speed.

Also, it is true that the Japanese mentality is very different from the Western one. The difficulties we have are a mix of all of these. It's not about identifying a specific problem and solving it, it's more complicated than that. With current regulations, there are no quick solutions possible.

Discover the full interview with Stoffel Vandoorne, as well as the full report and analysis of the Australian Grand Prix, carried out by our special correspondents in Melbourne, in issue 2107 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version and on newsstands.