Stoffel Vandoorne joins the McLaren young driver program

Champion in Formula Renault 2.0 in 2012, Stoffel Vandoorne will take a new step in his young career this year by participating in the Formula Renault 3.5 championship, where drivers like Sebastian Vettel, Robert Kubica, and Jules Bianchi have honed their skills. In addition to this sporting program, the 20-year-old Belgian driver will join the young drivers’ program of the McLaren team, where he will be alongside Dane Kevin Magnussen and Dutchman Nyck de Vries. This marks new support for the member of the RACB National Team (RACB being the Belgian motorsport federation).

« I am really thrilled to have been chosen to be part of the McLaren young driver program. It’s one of the biggest names in motorsport, and being part of this program is an honor and a privilege. I am fully committed to doing my best to make the most of this opportunity, » declares the driver from Courtrai.

Martin Whitmarsh, head of the English team, also commented on the arrival of this new recruit: “We are pleased to announce that Stoffel is now part of McLaren’s young driver program. He is capable and ambitious, and we have high hopes for him.”

Vandoorne will tackle the Formula Renault 3.5 championship with the Fortec Motorsports team, which enabled the Dutchman, Robert Frijns, to prevail over Jules Bianchi during the final meeting of the 2012 season.