Stoffel Vandoorne says McLaren must be cautious over its prospects at this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix, with the high-speed nature of the Sepang circuit unlikely to suit its package.
McLaren performed comparatively strongly around the streets of Singapore, with both Vandoorne and Fernando Alonso making Q3, before the Belgian went on to record seventh in the race.
However, it marked only the third time this season that McLaren has scored a top 10 finish, and Vandoorne is braced for a more challenging weekend in Malaysia.
“Like Singapore, Malaysia will be a first for me as I’ve never raced there before,” said Vandoorne.
“It’s a shame it’ll be the last time we’ll be racing there for a while, but that’s all the more reason to make the most of it.
“It looks to be a pretty cool track – challenging and similar conditions to Singapore – but hopefully potential to show what our car can do.
“It definitely won’t suit us as much as the Singapore track did, so we still need to be cautious about what’s possible.
“But having watched races there in the past, there’s always some kind of drama and the risk of a shower or two.
“We’ll have our fingers crossed for an opportunity for us to mix it with cars a little bit further up the field.”
On McLaren’s prospects, Racing Director Eric Boullier commented: “We will of course be pushing for Q3 on Saturday – as we have done over the past couple of races.
“But this circuit is unlikely to be as kind to us as Singapore in terms of outright lap-times.
“As ever, reliability will be key in these tough conditions, as points are only ever possible with a reliable car, as will avoiding any first-lap chaos, which is always easier said than done.
“Nevertheless, our drivers report that the MCL32 has good balance as well as strong traction on slower-speed corners wherever we race in the world, both of which factors will be a benefit on a track of this nature.”
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