Stoffel Vandoorne wants to know sooner rather than later about his Formula 1 future as he pushes his McLaren team about future opportunities with the Woking-based team.
The Belgian made his race debut during the Bahrain Grand Prix in place of the injured Fernando Alonso, and secured a top ten finish, which was at that point of the season the only point the McLaren-Honda team had scored.
Vandoorne admits he does not know when his future will be sorted out, but the 2015 GP2 Series champion and current Super Formula competitor in Japan is eager to be a Formula 1 driver in 2017.
“I don’t know when it’s going to be,” said Vandoorne to F1i.com. “I know more or less when I want to know when things are going to move.
“I talk a lot with Ron [Dennis] and Eric [Boullier] at every Grand Prix I’m at and even at the factory. So I’m trying to push as hard as I can.
“I think having had the chance in Bahrain to race the car has maybe helped a bit, but at the moment there’s nothing decided yet. Hopefully the decision comes sooner rather than later.
“I feel very confident about my chances for next year. Obviously I have a contract with McLaren and I’ve been with this team for a long time, so this is definitely my main priority to get a race seat here.
“But if for some reason it doesn’t work out then I feel confident that there’s opportunities elsewhere.”
