Vandoorne: 'Smooth race weekend necessary for real progress'

©McLaren

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One could perhaps say with a bit of sarcasm that McLaren-Honda's second day of in-season testing at Bahrain did not go according to plan: indeed, the team's MCL32 ran all day without a glitch!

The trouble-free session was a departure for both team and driver from their usual 'go-fail-stop' routine, and Stoffel Vandoorne's 56 laps were more than the Belgian managed in the first three races of 2017.

The McLaren driver was obviously delighted that Honda's reliability woes were nowhere to be seen on Wednesday.

"Today has probably been our best day this season so far," he said.

"It’s the first time that we’ve had a day without any big problems, where we could actually get on with our programme.

"I think we completed everything we wanted to do today, and we went through a lot of set-up stuff that we didn’t manage to do in Barcelona.

"It’s been a very productive day and I’m very happy that we’ve been able to do so many laps."

Trouble-free day still leaves McLaren-Honda exposed

Vandoorne tempered his enthusiasm a bit however, underlining the fact that "one swallow does not a summer" make, and that consistent reliability may still be a long way off.

"“Today was really good, but we need every day to be this good, and there are no guarantees that it will be like this next time," he continued.

"We need to learn very carefully from what we’ve done today, and hopefully carry that forward to the next event and see some improvements.

"The key is to be able to have a weekend where everything runs smoothly, which we haven’t been able to do yet. If we can do that, hopefully we can show we are making progress."

GALLERY: All the action from the Day 2 in-season testing at Bahrain

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.