Vandoorne prepares to race the Chinese GP for McLaren
In the event of Fernando Alonso's withdrawal again for the next Grand Prix in China, the McLaren team has asked Stoffel Vandoorne to make the trip to Shanghai and be ready to take part in the weekend.
Following his spectacular accident during the first Grand Prix in Australia, Fernando Alonso had to forgo participating in the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend.
Victim of a pneumothorax and broken ribs, the Spaniard failed to convince the FIA doctors who did not give him the green light to get back into his McLaren. As a result, Stoffel Vandoorne, the English team’s reserve driver, was called in as reinforcement at the last minute to replace the double world champion.
Author of an impressive qualification and a solid race, the young Belgian even managed the feat of scoring the point for 10th place in his first participation in a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Doubt still lingers over Fernando Alonso’s ability to participate in the next Grand Prix, which will take place in China next weekend. The Spaniard still needs to undergo a medical examination to determine his fitness to race. In the event of another withdrawal from their main driver, McLaren has asked Vandoorne to be ready and to travel to Shanghai, as the Belgian himself confirmed: « This week, I will be in the simulator, and next week, I will head to China. I’ll see over there if I have to race or not. It’s difficult at the moment to know if I will get behind the wheel or not, because Fernando still needs to undergo tests, and then the FIA will make a decision. »
A decision regarding Alonso’s participation in the Chinese Grand Prix should be made on the Thursday prior to the race.
