Vandoorne looking to capitalise on upgrade boost

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McLaren Stoffel Vandoorne will be racing an F1 car in Monaco for the very first time next weekend, and hopes he can build on the team's step up in performance in Spain.

McLaren introduced several aero revisions to its MCL32 in Barcelona which had an immediate positive impact on the car's performance as Fernando Alonso P7 result in qualifying demonstrated.

"Although the Spanish Grand Prix result was frustrating and of course not a result that we were looking for, we were still able to find some positives over the weekend," said Vandoorne in the team's preview.

"The upgrades we brought to the car have delivered the performance we were hoping, and we managed to take a lot of information from each day on track, which has been really useful for the engineers and the design team back at the factory and is helping our programme from race to race."

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The Belgian has endured a difficult start to his maiden F1 season, a victim more often than not of Honda's incessant under-performance and reliability issues.

But the 25-year-old is keeping his head down and focused on the immedaite job at hand.

"Since Barcelona, I’ve been back at MTC in the simulator, and I feel ready and excited to head to Monaco.

"It’s the first time that I’ll be racing in my ‘back yard’, as it’s recently become another home race for me.

"It’ll also be my first time behind the wheel there in a Formula 1 car, but it’s not the first time I’ve driven on the famous Monaco circuit.

"I raced there in GP2 for three years, and also in World Series by Renault, so I know it pretty well and enjoy driving there.

"It’s one of those tracks where even if you have the best-performing car, but you’re a victim of bad luck in the traffic, it can affect the outcome of the whole weekend. It makes for really exciting racing for the fans, and anything can happen there."

It will be an important weekend for McLaren with a double-bill as Fernando Alonso tackles the Indy 500. Needless to say, all attention will turn to Indianapolis on Sunday evening.

But in the interim, Vandoorne will another driver sitting on the other side of the garage, albeit a man he is well acquainted with.

"It’s also great to see Jenson back in McLaren-Honda colours and alongside me in the garage. Both of us love driving on this circuit and I hope it’ll be the best opportunity for us on track so far this season.

"I know both of us will also be keeping one eye on everything happening in Indianapolis, too, and hope Fernando can also enjoy a good weekend over there."

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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.