Vandoorne: a “fantastic” point

Stoffel Vandoorne shone on his debut in F1 in McLaren-Honda. The reigning GP2 Series champion, who replaced Fernando Alonso injured following his accident in Melbourne (Australia), took tenth place for his first Grand Prix in Bahrain after starting from 12th position.

“The start was a little complicated, but we still managed to take advantage of the opportunities”, commented the rookie on Sky Sports.

Starting with a set of worn super-soft tires, the McLaren driver completed his next two stints on soft tires before switching to new red sidewall tires.

“I couldn’t be happier for my F1 debut. I have felt comfortable since the start of the weekend. I just avoided making mistakes. Coming away with a point is a bonus. I arrived here with no expectations and to get this point is fantastic”, added the Belgian.

Jenson Button did not have such an idyllic weekend. The 2009 world champion, beaten by Stoffel Vandoorne in qualifying, retired with a mechanical problem.

Discover the analysis of the Bahrain Grand Prix carried out by our special correspondents in issue 2057 of AUTOhebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version on all platforms, and from Wednesday on newsstands.