Vandoorne eager to get the season underway

Stoffel Vandoorne's preparations for his first full season in Formula One have been difficult to say the least, but he is not letting McLaren-Honda's pre-season woes dampen his spirits as the 2017 season gets underway.

As he and the team arrived in Melbourne, he opted to focus on how he and the team will solve their issues rather than bemoan the woes of pre-season testing.

"It’s a great feeling knowing that I’m about to start my full first season in Formula 1 and it’s a dream I’ve been working towards for my entire racing career. I'm looking forward to stepping into the MCL32 cockpit on Friday morning and I feel totally ready for the challenge ahead.

"I’ve prepared very well over the winter, worked a lot on my training and in particular my strength and endurance, and I’m incredibly motivated to work hard with the team to make improvements step by step. I’ll be pushing hard as always and I’m looking forward to getting back into the car."

The Belgian refused to be drawn on setting any specific targets for the season,  instead choosing to comment on his relationship with the team and how he intends to learn from decorated team-mate Fernando Alonso.

"In terms of performance, I’m not setting myself any particular targets, other than to keep my head down, learn a lot from the team and from Fernando, and do my best.

"I know the guys and girls at McLaren and Honda very well, and I feel very much part of the family, so there’s no sense of nervousness about starting my first full season as a Formula 1 driver.

"It’s my first time in Australia so I’ll be soaking up the atmosphere, enjoying the buzz of the first race of the season, and we’ll see how the weekend unfolds from there."

Alex Griffin