Stoffel Vandoorne feels that there were many positives to take away from the Belgian and Italian Grand Prix despite leaving both venues without a top ten finish, and hopes his luck turns heading into this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The McLaren Honda Formula 1 Team racer endured a tough home race in Belgium following a large number of grid penalties, and although he managed to get into the top ten shootout in Italy, he suffered engine issues in both qualifying and the race to prevent him from breaking into the points.
But Vandoorne feels the MCL32 should be better suited to the Marina Bay Street Circuit, and he hopes to break into the points for only the second time this season on Sunday.
“We’ve had a tough couple of races as a team, but from my side I’ve also been encouraged by the performances we’ve put in across the course of each weekend,” admitted the Belgian.
“In every session we’ve been able to take away positives – even if we haven’t managed to get the cars to the end of the race or finish with a good result. I’m pretty sure we’re due some better luck, so I hope in Singapore we’ll be able to maximise the strengths of our package over the whole weekend, and finish the all-important race day on a high on Sunday afternoon.”
Vandoorne has never raced around the Marina Bay track but has been looking forward to experiencing the one true night race on the calendar, and he feels prepared to attack around a track that requires a lot of concentration and stamina.
“I’ve never raced in Singapore, but I’ve experienced the whole weekend alongside the team over the past couple of years,” said Vandoorne. “Living on European time and going to bed at 6am is surreal, and it’s part of what makes this grand prix one of the really special ones. Singapore is such a cool place and I’m looking forward to exploring more of the city this year.
“Of the grands prix I haven’t yet done, Singapore is one of the races that I’ve been most excited about all year. It’s a completely different experience to the other races and I think the whole atmosphere will feel pretty unique – racing under the floodlights in the middle of the city sounds really cool.
“The grands prix here have been some of the longest on the calendar, so it’ll take a lot of stamina in the high temperatures and humidity, but I feel well prepared.”
