Vandoorne "very grateful" to McLaren despite being replaced

Departing McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne has expressed his thanks to the team for the years they've been together, despite the Belgian being replaced by McLaren junior driver Lando Norris.

Vandoorne scored points for the Woking-based team on his debut in Bahrain in 2016, the year he got promoted from reserve driver, but it's been a rocky road since. This season, he's still yet to beat Fernando Alonso in qualifying, making him the only driver who hasn't beaten his teammate on Saturdays.

“I’m very grateful to McLaren for investing their faith in me over the past five years," the Belgian said on the McLaren website.

What's next for Vandoorne? Sauber have already made clear they won't be signing the Belgian, which leaves him with few options in F1. He will inform us shortly though, he says.