Vandoorne: McLaren chewed me up and spat me out

Stoffel Vandoorne – destroyed by Alonso 21-0

Former McLaren number one mechanic turned Formula 1 vlogger, Marc Priestley revealed how Stoffel Vandoorne resents the way he was treated by the Woking outfit.

During his latest vlog Priestley was asked why McLaren did not offer the discarded Belgian with a simulator role, to which he replied, “I think the biggest reason for that is that Vandoorne, I suspect, if you’d offered him that role he wouldn’t have taken it."

Vandoorne’s fall from grace is a story well told, that he was pummeled by Alonso 21-0 in qualy last year was well publicized by the Spaniard and as expected at the end of the season 27-year-old Stoffel was out of F1. Promise unfulfilled through no fault of his own.

Priestley then went on to recall a recent encounter and chat with Vandoorne, “I actually asked him recently, I saw him at a formal event and I said to him, how do you feel about Formula 1? Do you feel like it stood you up and spat you out with your short time? It’s been a pretty brutal experience how do you feel about it?"

“[Vandoorne] said: Formula 1 is fine, I don’t have any problem with F1, I feel like McLaren chewed me up and spat me out."

Priestley continued, “I kind of can see that I can see that there was a lot of focus towards Fernando in that team and unfortunately Stoffel, who is a great driver, bore the brunt of that and it kind of made him feel second-best."

“I suspect if McLaren had offered him a simulated role and they may well have done behind the scenes I’m not sure he would have taken it."

“As for Mercedes great opportunity getting the Mercedes simulator potentially a route back into F1 in the future who knows?"

“But he’s doing Formula E and really, really enjoying it. When I did speak to him he’s loving Formula E he’s yet to fully get to grips with it but really he is reinvigorated in terms of loving motorsport again."

“That’s something that a lot of people say when they turn up in the Formula E paddock," added F1 Elvis. grandprix247