How the Formula E champion hopes the 'reset' will get him back to the highest

Even throughout his life as an expert racing driver, Stoffel Vandoorne's profession was stuffed with ups and downs, as championship success was followed by weak spells and untapped potential.

At one point the Belgian was considered the one other talent to emerge from the junior single-seater ranks, he dominated the 2015 GP2 campaign in his second season before making his Formula 1 debut for McLaren the next 12 months. Although it was a one-off appearance as a substitute for the injured Fernando Alonso after the Spaniard's colossal move within the Australian Grand Prix, Vandoorne impressed and finished tenth in Bahrain.

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As well as earning him a spot in a select group of drivers to attain a degree on their F1 debut, Vandoorne's consistent performance earned him a promotion from reserve driver to full-time driver on the grid in 2017 after which 2018.

However, his move to F1 with McLaren coincided with the Woking-based team's worst spell within the championship, as its relationship with engine supplier Honda changed into a disaster. After ending sixteenth within the Drivers' Championship in each seasons and failing to match teammate Alonso's performance, Vandoorne had to search out employment elsewhere.

This got here just a number of weeks later in Formula E with HWA Racelab in a season that saw him secure one podium before moving to the Mercedes works team, which debuted within the 2019–20 campaign.

Over the subsequent three seasons, Vandoorne took just three wins in 42 races, but his consistency overall proved to be the most effective method to race within the highly unpredictable EV championship.

Vandoorne was a distant runner-up to Antonio Felix da Costa within the Covid-19-affected 2019-20 season after which teammate Nyck de Vries won the championship the next 12 months as several points deficiencies doomed any title bid for him.

Vandoorne won the Monaco round of Formula E en path to the 2021-2022 championship

Photo: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

A single victory in Monaco and 7 further podiums, in addition to only one no-point finish in 16 races, meant the 2022 title went to Vandoorne, who helped Mercedes win back-to-back team titles.

Greater success could have followed in a team and structure into which Vandoorne was fully integrated, but because of the German manufacturer's abrupt departure from Formula E, the brand new champion was forced to hitch the winning DS Penske team.

The partnership was expected to provide good results, but after two seasons each side were upset as 32 races resulted in just one pole position and one podium as the brand new Gen3 package fell wanting the leading teams.

“I think for us to get a very good result, all the stars had to really align to be able to work with them.” Stoffel Vandoorne on time with DS Penske

“Definitely not what I expected,” Vandoorne told Motorsport.com. “I feel it was a little bit of a shock because at Mercedes the whole lot was very, very tidy and really organized.

“I'm not saying that DS wasn't organized, but in some ways it was completely different, let's just say that sometimes it was just a little less transparent, the whole lot happened more on an ongoing basis. I also think we're just a little behind Porsche and Jaguar on the subject of powertrain, that's no secret.

“I feel for us to get a superb result, all the celebrities had to actually align to have the option to work with them. I feel we were at a stage where we were doing well, we were in the combo.

“We were very rarely the fastest, but I feel like if we did everything right, we had some good opportunities and some good opportunities to fight them.”

Vandoorne's time at DS didn’t bring the expected results

Photo: Charly Lopez / Motorsport Images

As results weren’t available, each Vandoorne and DS decided to go their separate ways, with Vandoorne joining the Stellantis family, joining Maserati MSG for the present season.

The Trident joined the grid at the beginning of the Gen3 era in 2023 after being rebadged from Venturi, which had previously used Mercedes powertrains, meaning it became something of a homecoming for Vandoorne.

“I would say the transition was pretty smooth,” Vandoorne says. “Of course I knew lots of the team members from the Mercedes days because we already worked closely together and lots of of them have remained the identical.

“And then there's my race engineer, who also encountered DS, and a number of individuals with DS who also encountered it, so it doesn't seem too strange to me, slightly very similar.

“Of course, once you move teams, there’s at all times a period where you’ve got to adapt to the best way of working, the processes and the flow of events, but overall I might say the whole lot went easily.

“Having the same drivetrain [as DS Penske] it kind of helps as well in terms of systems, dashboard layout, there's not a huge change on that side, so it really helped to kind of settle in and keep my feet on the ground.”

In the primary two races of the 2024–2025 season in Sao Paulo and Mexico City, Vandoorne scored points twice courtesy of tenth and seventh place finishes. Although this isn’t spectacular, it ensures a stable start within the championship, where consistency is crucial thing.

The latest chapter of Formula E sees Vandoorne in a Maserati, which helps him proceed his profession within the WEC

Photo: Andreas Beil

While this sort of racing will not be eye-catching, the Vandoorne is definitely still highly regarded. During his profession with Mercedes FE, he was the F1 team's reserve – a task he now holds for Aston Martin – and competed within the 2020 Sakhir GP, which eventually went to George Russell.

Remaining within the Stellantis family also means he can proceed his World Endurance Championship commitments for Peugeot by combining these two campaigns. At 32, Vandoorne is arguably in the most effective period of his profession and believes his recent challenge in Formula E can only bring good results as he hopes to return to the highest.

“I don't necessarily feel like I have to prove anything, but you always have to show up and always give your best.” Stoffel Vandoorne.

“I think it's good to reset a little bit, I think sometimes it's good for that,” adds Vandoorne.

“I don't necessarily feel like I even have to prove anything, but you mostly have to indicate up and at all times give your best. That's definitely a form of guideline in motorsport usually, you're at all times judged by results and my goal is unquestionably to get back to winning position and fight for the championship.

“I am sure, I have no doubts about my abilities, that as soon as everything falls into place, I will be fighting for the championship there again, now it's just up to us to build it again.”

Can Vandoorne use his best years to win a Formula E or WEC title?

Photo: Shameem Fahath