Vandoorne's seat at McLaren not guaranteed for 2019

With the Formula One silly season far from complete, Stoffel Vandoorne is not guaranteed to be at the McLaren team after the current season ends. Young prospect and junior driver Lando Norris has been linked with a promotion to the team.

According to his manager, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Vandoorne will be at McLaren for the forseeable future but made no mention of his stay beyond the end of the 2018 season.

Speaking to Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure, he said: "Stoffel will drive in Spa and until the end of the season. There's no doubt about that."

Only one driver has been confirmed at McLaren for 2019 and that is Carlos Sainz, himself being replaced at Renault by Daniel Ricciardo. With Fernando Alonso also walking away from F1 at the end of the 2018 season, it could be a complete reshuffle at the team going into next season.

"We will be taking a strategic view race by race at where else this might be beneficial for us over the coming Grands Prix," said sporting director at McLaren Gil de Ferran.

Another twist to the tail is Lando Norris' confirmed outing in FP1 at Spa-Francorchamps, replacing Alonso for the first session of the weekend, perhaps a hint that McLaren are indeed considering him for a full-time race seat next season.