McLaren Stoffel Vandoorne sees team mate Fernando Alonso as just another competitor, dispelling the notion the Spaniard is a mentor for the Belgian charger.
Vandoorne endured a troubled start to his first full season of Formula 1, hindered in the first half of the season by Honda's reliability woes and by an inability to extract the most out of his MCL32 compared to his prestigious team mate.
The 25-year-old put his head down and improved his driving over the summer, eventually performing on a par with Alonso.
Vandoorne denied however that his relationship was comparable to that of Lance Stroll and Felipe Massa at Williams, insisting teh two-time world champion was not his mentor.
"No!" he told Brazil's Globo.
"Of course we work together on the same team and in the same direction, but he does not stand next to me helping.
"We are very open and have normal conversations when we are out of the car," Vandoorne added. "But he is not there to be my mentor.
"Maybe Lance needs this, I don't know."
Vandoorne admitted however that racing alongside one of F1's greatest drivers did have its benefits.
"He's probably the best reference in formula one," Vandoorne agrees.
"I have a good relationship with him, even if there is a lot of competition, which is normal.
"We do not have a strong package this year, but it has been positive for me because I had the chance to get quite close to him," he added.
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
We’re on the eve of another adrenaline-pumping weekend of action in Florida, with Formula 1's…
Sergio Perez believes Red Bull Racing will be in a great place despite the departure…
Lewis Hamilton has put departing Red Bull designer Adrian Newey at the top of his…
Nico Hulkenberg says Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl was the “driving factor” behind his decision to…
Honda says it hopes to continue supporting its protégé Yuki Tsunoda despite its departure from…
The news of Adrian Newey's departure from Red Bull has cast a shadow of uncertainty…