Lando Norris handed McLaren drive for 2019 as Stoffel Vandoorne follows Fernando Alonso out the exit door
Both Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne will leave McLaren with Carlos Sainz joined by Lando Norris for 2019
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Your support makes all the difference.McLaren have announced that current driver Stoffel Vandoorne will not remain with the team for 2019, resulting in an all-new driver line-up that sees Formula Two driver Lando Norris join Carlos Sainz.
Vandoorne will follow current teammate Fernando Alonso out of the door after the team announced their intention not to renew his contract on Monday, opening up another seat on the grid for next season with the Woking-based team.
Former McLaren driver Sergio Perez had been linked with a return to McLaren from Force India, but current Formula Two championship contender Lando Norris will replace the 26-year-old Belgian and partner Sainz, who has already been confirmed in a switch from Renault.
“To be announced as a race driver for McLaren is a dream come true,” 18-year-old Norris said. “Although I’ve been part of the team for a while now, this is a special moment, one I could only hope would become reality.
“I’d like to thank the whole team for this amazing opportunity and for believing in me. I’m also extremely grateful for the commitment McLaren has already shown in my development, allowing me to build my experience in a Formula 1 car in both testing and on Fridays during the past two race weekends.
“For the remainder of 2018, my focus remains firmly on the Formula Two championship. My objective is to win the title before joining McLaren full-time, which will be tough, but I will fight as hard as I can for the remaining four races. I’ll also be working closely with McLaren at every opportunity to learn as much as possible from the drivers, engineers and mechanics to give myself the best preparation ahead of next year.”
Following confirmation of his departure, Vandoorne said: “I’m very grateful to McLaren for investing their faith in me over the past five years. I joined McLaren as a young driver and have since seen my career progress within the team from Test and Development Driver to Reserve Driver and then to full-time race driver.
“While we haven’t achieved the success we’d all hoped for, I’ve really enjoyed the past two seasons racing for McLaren and I have a great relationship with everyone in the team.
“My time at McLaren has been a great chapter in my career and I’m thankful for the opportunity the team, Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa and Mansour Ojjeh have given me to gain valuable Formula 1 experience and develop as a driver. I intend to give it my all for the remaining seven races of this season, and will announce my plans for next season in due course.”
Vandoorne has endured a difficult two-year spell with McLaren, with his best result coming in a pair of seventh-place finishes at Singapore and Malaysia last year. 2018 has proven much tougher for the former GP2 champion, having secured only three top 10 finishes and being out-qualified by Alonso at every race this season.
He made his McLaren debut in 2016 in a one-off appearance to deputise for Alonso when he was injured in a high-speed crash at the Australian Grand Prix, with Vandoorne securing a 10th-place finish two weeks later in Bahrain. He finished the 2017 season 16th in the drivers’ championship standings, and is currently in the same position with seven races remaining this season.
“We’re immensely thankful for Stoffel’s dedication, hard work and commitment during his time at McLaren,” McLaren chief executive Zak Brown said of Vandoorne, who joined their young drivers’ programme in 2013 and became test driver the following year.
“He’s a talented racing driver with an incredible list of accolades in his junior career. We’re proud to have played a part in his break into Formula One, from his role as Test Driver to his fantastic points-scoring debut in Bahrain in 2016.
“It’s clear we haven’t provided Stoffel with the tools to show his true talent, but throughout our relationship he’s proved to be a fantastic team player. His work ethic is impressive, he has a great reputation within the team and we’ve really enjoyed working with him. Of course, we would have loved to achieve more success during our time together, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that he will always be a part of the McLaren family of grand prix drivers.
“For now, we look to the future and to the remaining grands prix in 2018, where I know both Stoffel and Fernando will be pushing hard to fight for as many points as possible before we close the curtain on this season.
“We wish Stoffel all the best in whatever direction he chooses to take next in his career, and we’ll be supporting him all the way. We will announce our full driver line-up for the 2019 season in due course.”
Perez has been linked with return to McLaren, having left the team after a single season with them in 2013 when he replaced Lewis Hamilton in what also proved to be a difficult season for the Mexican. His recent role in the administration of Force India and their reformation as Racing Point Force India F1 did put his future in doubt with the Silverstone-based outfit, and he is yet to announce his intentions for 2019.
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