McLaren executive director Zak Brown believes the Formula 1 team’s rookie driver Stoffel Vandoorne will “surprise a few people” in 2017.
Vandoorne, a long-time member of McLaren’s young driver programme, won the GP2 championship in 2015 but failed to secure an F1 race seat for 2016, and instead competed in the Japan-based Super Formula series.
Vandoorne also acted as McLaren’s reserve driver, which led to him making his F1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix in place of an unfit Fernando Alonso. The Belgian rookie impressed all weekend, finishing 10th in the race, scoring McLaren’s first point of the 2016 season.
Ahead of his full-time move up to F1 with the Woking-based outfit this year, Brown believes Vandoorne is the “real deal” and will surprise the paddock.
"Stoffel faces a serious test," he told the official Formula 1 website. "But, guess what, I think he’ll pass it with flying colours.
"Our personal trainers tell me he’s probably the fittest driver we’ve ever had, and he’s incredibly focused and determined. He’s fiercely intelligent too – you never have to tell him anything twice.
"His Grand Prix debut in Bahrain last year was sensational – he out-qualified and out-raced Jenson [Button] despite having minimal time to prepare for the weekend.
"In fact he only arrived in Bahrain on the Friday morning, straight off a long two-flight journey from Japan via Dubai.
"I think Stoffel will surprise a few people. He’s the real deal."
Brown believes Vandoorne’s test will be even tougher because of the team-mate he’ll be racing against: Alonso – who Brown believes is “the best driver in the world, period”.
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