Stoffel Vandoorne says it is disappointing his stint in Formula 1 coincided with “probably the worst time” in McLaren’s history in the sport, as he prepares to move into Formula E.
Vandoorne was handed a full-time seat ahead of what turned out to be the tumultuous final year of the McLaren-Honda partnership.
Vandoorne stayed for 2018 but McLaren’s switch to Renault power only served to highlight the team’s own weaknesses, as its struggles continued.
McLaren opted to promote Lando Norris and recruit Carlos Sainz Jr. from Renault to form its 2019 driver line-up, leaving Vandoorne without a seat in Formula 1.
“It has been a shame not to have better results in F1, but sometimes that is the way it goes,” he said.
“I’ve probably been at the worst time at McLaren in terms of the car performance. That is something I couldn’t really control.
“McLaren has given me great opportunities in GP2 and Super Formulas, and also gave me my F1 debut.
“The only thing that was wrong was the timing with the car. It is a shame but we have to move on.”
Vandoorne will instead switch to Formula E with the new Mercedes-backed HWA squad, and he completed two days of pre-season testing in Valencia last week.
“I am entering a completely new challenge,” he said.
“I had the chance to test in Valencia and it was good to get that first feeling of the car. It is not a [lot of] practice before I go racing, so I expect a steep learning curve, especially in the start of the season.
“The whole series and way you have to handle the car is going to be a new challenge for me and the team because there are a lot of things you can change software wise.
“The way the car handles is very different to F1 or all the other cars I’ve driven in the past.
“There is a lot less grip. Everything is a bit more on the edge.
“Qualifying is very similar but once you get to the race and you have to be efficiently in the way you are driving, then you can make a lot of difference.”
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