Vandoorne says he's measured up well to Alonso

©McLaren

Stoffel Vandoorne believes he has "fared very well" against McLaren team mate Fernando Alonso in his maden season of F1 racing.

The Belgian initiated his career in Grand Prix racing with a one-off start for McLaren in Bahrain in 2016, when he substituted for an injured Alonso.

His 2017 season got off to a rocky start however, with his first few races impacted by the dismal reliability of his Honda power unit.

Vandoorne also conducted a review, along with his team, of his driving which he proceeded to change to better suit the characteristics of F1, notably with regard to tyre management.

His performance gradually improved, enabling the 25-year-old to race on a par with his prestigious team mate.

Vandoorne: 'Alonso not my mentor!'

"With all the issues we had throughout this season I was never 'traumatised', but instead always wanted to fight the odds to get the best possible result and learn with every lap that I did in the car – even if sometimes my mileage was cut short by circumstance," Vandoorne said in an interview ith Formula1.com.

"In the end I guess that the rookie season thing is a bit overrated.

"When we come to F1 we all have years of racing under our belt and the ambitions are the same as in all the series below, because if you don't succeed there you don't make it to F1."

Asked to single out the most positive aspect of his first full year in F1, Vandoorne referenced his relative performance against the man sitting on other side of the McLaren garage.

"That I fared very well against Fernando," he said.

"Yes, the race results were not as expected, but having a super strong teammate is a well-known value in the paddock."

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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.