A return to Formula 1 for Vandoorne? " Never say never "

Stoffel Vandoorne and the Formula 1, a story that is not finished? The Belgian, resident at McLaren for two seasons (2017 – 2018), told Reuters that he could not definitively give up on the premier category of motorsport. “You can never say never, declared the champion of Formula E in Saudi Arabia, where the two Diriyah E-Prixes are taking place this weekend. You just don't know what's going to happen in someone's career over the next couple of years, but I would say my focus is on Formula E. I'm just trying to do my best here on the track. »

Hülkenberg and De Vries as an example

The new DS-Penske driver, aged 30, believes that a return to Formula 1 cannot be ruled out. The recent example of Nico Hulkenberg, who found a tub with Haas this season despite his age (35), could give him a reason to believe it. Moreover, Stoffel Vandoorne took on the role of reservist at Aston Martin, a position that the German had held until then. The Belgian never really left the Formula 1 paddocks, since he was a reserve driver at Mercedes in recent seasons.

Likewise, his former teammate at Mercedes in Formula E, Nyck de Vries, also found a place in F1 with Alpha Tauri after his title in the electric championship. According to the main person concerned, only the results on the track could give him the necessary credit for a return to F1. “I think that for a driver, the most important thing is always to perform well on the track and to arouse people's interest, underlined Vandoorne. So I'm focusing on Formula E to try to win races, to win championships here and then I don't control anything anymore, I don't have anything to do. »

Formula E, Vandoorne’s priority

The reigning Formula E world champion has another priority for the moment: retaining his crown and leading DS-Penske to the world title. The 2023 campaign got off to a difficult start with a distant 10th place at the Mexico E-Prix. Stoffel Vandoorne recognizes that he still has to adapt to the new Gen3 single-seaters… but especially to the new Hankook tires. “They have 100 kW more power (compared to the Gen2), they are around 60 kilos lighter, but the biggest change is the tires. The tires simply have less grip than last year, he explained. More power and less grip isn't necessarily the perfect combination. » Stoffel Vandoorne will have the opportunity to make up for it during the double-header in Diriyah to definitively launch his championship.

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