Former F1 driver winks at Verstappen and Wolff: 'Aston Martin to hit 500 kph!'

19:00, 29 Aug

byMarnik Kok

Now that the first half of the season is over, the tasks of the test and reserve drivers are also shifting more towards 2026. This is also the case for Stoffel Vandoorne, who discusses the new generation of F1 cars in an exclusive interview with GPBLog.

What will 2026 bring us? One person claimed that the cars of the brand-new Formula 1 era would be much slower, while another, Toto Wolff, believed that they could reach monstrous speeds of 400 kilometers per hour. Max Verstappen responded with a laugh: "Maybe Toto's engine will!"

"We're going 500 kilometers per hour!"

- Vandoorne, joking about the top speed of 2026

In an exclusive interview with GPBLog, Aston Martin's test and reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne laughs at the claims of 400 kilometers per hour.

"In the simulator, we're going 500 kilometers per hour!", he laughs, before seriously addressing the topic of 2026.

"I think it looks positive. New rules naturally provide opportunities for change."

Positive changes in F1

"Hopefully we can use that to our advantage next year. Everything is changing, it’s a whole new way of driving, but I think it's positive. We need the change to mix up the field."

Vandoorne is also testing this year, but the attention is starting to shift quicker to next year.

The Aston Martin reserve driver also competes in Formula E - the electric counterpart of F1. Can he take anything from that?

"They're two completely different championships, but a small part of the technology is the same, like the software for instance."

Aston Martin, like other teams, is increasingly focusing on 2026, although the team of test driver Vandoorne achieved a fantastic result in Hungary.

Suggestions on new F1 engines

"The teams are of course not the same, but in the simulator, I can make suggestions to the team (about the electric part of the new F1 engine, ed.)."

From next year, the electric power of the engine becomes much more important: the power unit is less dependent on the combustion engine and overtaking is also promoted more with the electrical components.

For next year, Aston Martin has chosen to switch to Honda engines, while Red Bull and the Racing Bulls have just stopped the project.

Aston Martin has clear plan for Belgian Vandoorne

The rest of the year for Vandoorne? "I have already planned my calendar until the end of the year with simulation days, with going back to the factory."

"There will be quite a few days in the simulator and we will also have more information each week about the new regulations - and also updates about what next year's car will look like", the former Formula 1 driver concludes.