Vandoorne not in his happy place at McLaren - Magnussen

Kevin Magnussen believes Stoffel Vandoorne is not "in his happy place" as the Belgian struggles to perform in his maiden season of F1 with McLaren.

Expectations were high for Vandoorne coming into 2017 after he was entrusted with Jenson Button's seat at the Woking-based outfit.

A victim of Honda's dismal reliability and performance at the outset, Vandoorne has disappointed however in terms of relative performance compared to team mate Fernando Alonso.

A deficit McLaren's Eric Boullier has partly put down to a driving style the 25-year-old inherited from the junior categories but which appears inadequate for F1.

Magnussen, who was also a member of McLaren's junior program before racing for the team alongside Button in his first full season of F1, is puzzled by Vandoorne's struggles.

Honda to bring 'some kind of improvement' to Baku

"I don't know why he is struggling," said the Haas driver.

"He's clearly not in his happy place because he wouldn't be half a second off Fernando otherwise. I'm a bit surprised - he can be very good I'm sure.

"I guess I can relate a little bit. He also has a very good opportunity as he's up against someone who is seen as one of the best in Formula 1.

"He has the opportunity to really show himself. I know he's a very good driver and I know he can do it, but he's struggling for different reasons but it can be very tough in his situation."

In McLaren's team preview before Baku, Vandoorne wasn't expecting any fireworks on the power-hungry track which will once again only underline his power unit's weakness.

"The circuit is a real mix of great characteristics from other tracks – high speeds and long straights but also close racing and heavy braking for the tight corners on the infield section of this street circuit layout," said the Belgian.

"It has a bit of everything so there’s a lot for our engineers to work on. It’s heavy on fuel consumption and puts high loads on the ERS, so we’ll need to try to optimise our package to adapt to the demands that the weekend will throw at us."

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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.