Vandoorne sees 'character-building' positives in McLaren's troubles

Stoffel Vandoorne is enduring a challenging start to his career as a Grand Prix driver as he composes with McLaren-Honda's depressed state of affairs.

The 25-year-old was drafted in to replace Jenson Button after a year as a test driver and a points-scoring one-off for the Woking-based outfit at Bahrain last year.

Like Fernando Alonso, Vandoorne has been held hostage by Honda's dismal performance and reliability this season which offer no signs of improvement.

But the Belgian is taking in all in his stride, as he focuses on building his experience and character in the face of adversity.

"I think it's actually been very good for me to develop as a driver," he said, speaking to Motorsport.com.

"Even though it's a difficult situation, I think there's so much you learn from this.

"In my junior series [career], I've never almost really had a tough time. I was always fighting for victories, fighting for championships and everything was more or less going smooth.

"Okay, you have the one-off bad race, but it's kind of a new experience for me to go through a bit of a tougher time, where things don't go as you're planning. There's a lot to learn from that for me."

Vandoorne 'expected' grid penalties to arrive early

In the interim, Vandoorne heads to Barcelona for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. There is no reason to believe in a sudden upswing of McLaren-Honda's fortunes, but he'll give it his best shot as usual.

"I’m looking forward to starting the European season at the Spanish Grand Prix," he says.

"I know the circuit well from previous races I’ve done there and of course from pre-season testing, and we have a lot of useful data about the track and the way the car behaves there.

"Hopefully this will mean we can start the weekend on a positive note and have a smooth weekend. I’m ready for the challenge and excited to go racing again."

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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.