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Vandoorne: I can bring fresh ideas to Mercedes

Vandoorne: I can bring "fresh ideas" to Mercedes

27-12-2018 15:43

Stoffel Vandoorne believes that he can learn a lot from spending a year as a simulator driver with Mercedes, combined with his Formula E duties. 

Vandoorne qualified fourth on his Formula E debut but didn’t have his best race, dropping down the field and out of the points.

The highly rated Belgian suffered two difficult years with McLaren in Formula One and was dropped at the end of 2018 to be replaced by rookie Lando Norris.

Vandoorne is excited by the opportunity to be part of the Mercedes team, and told the F1 official website: "That's an exciting part for me as well, to still be involved in the F1 world and to be with the world champions. For me, it will be a very interesting move.

"I'm sure I can bring them a lot of fresh ideas, but also for me to see the differences there are, because I've only worked with McLaren in Formula 1.

"So it's exciting for me as well to kind of have a bit of a fresh environment.

"I think to be involved with Mercedes and to perform the work for them, it's good that they will know exactly what I'm capable of doing.

"And we don't know what the driver market is going to do in the future.

"It was a bit crazy this season and who knows what it will be next season. It's hard to tell. So it's good to be involved and to be prepared for anything that comes up."