Stoffel Vandoorne hopes his second Brazilian Grand Prix lasts longer than his first, with the Belgian having been involved in a first lap incident with Kevin Magnussen in 2017 that saw both drivers retire immediately with damage.
The McLaren F1 Team racer has endured a tough sophomore campaign with only four top-ten finishes in the first nineteen races, but he is ready to fight for a fifth this weekend around the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.
“Last year my experience of Interlagos was a short one as I was involved in an incident on the first lap and was forced to retire, so I hope we don’t see a repeat for either myself or Fernando this weekend!” said Vandoorne.
“From the time I did spend driving the track, I thought it was a really cool circuit and can see why so many drivers from history talk about it as being one of the best in the world. It’s fast and flowing and you can really attack the corners.”
Vandoorne broke his long run of pointless races last time out with an excellent drive to eighth after a mammoth stint enabled him to jump some of his rivals, and he felt it was a much-needed boost for both himself and the team.
The twenty-six-year-old is excited to race in Brazil and continue the momentum that has been growing in the past few races and secure another positive result for McLaren in his penultimate race with the team before he departs to race in FIA Formula E.
“Points in Mexico were a great boost for the team, and both Fernando and I will be chasing a solid performance in Brazil,” said Vandoorne.
“As usual we’ll work hard on our preparation and strategy to try and get the best possible result in front of the Brazilian fans.”
