Stoffel Vandoorne gears up for the remainder of the season and talks about his racing career. Storming to the top of the driver standings after picking up his first win of the season at the\u00a0Monaco E-Prix, the Mercedes driver is now at the top of the Driver Standings after finishing ahead of Jean-Eric Vergne in second and Mitch Evans in third.
\nThe Monaco race weekend was a successful one for the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, with Stoffel Vandoorne winning the race and Nyck de Vries securing further points and finishing in tenth place, giving the team a clear lead in the Team Championship with 120 points with Stoffel leading the Driver Standings.<\/p>\n
Winning in Monaco must have been something special\u2014can you let us know more about your experience winning in Monaco as compared to the usual races?<\/p>\n
Monaco races are special in any series, and in any category. I\u2019ve raced here in the past for a couple of different series, such as the World Series by Renault GP2, and Formula 1 as well. I won in the GP2 in 2015, which was quite a special feeling as well.
\nLast weekend was my first win in Formula E, which was also my first one of this season, which makes it a very special one. I think this is definitely a race that everyone wants to have in their racing career, with all the hype around it as well as the circuit\u2019s history. I was obviously extremely very happy and so was everyone in the team.<\/p>\n
What are your feelings on the upcoming race in Berlin? How do you like the Berlin track and what are your experiences so far there?<\/p>\n
Berlin is a home race for us, and I\u2019m looking forward to being back on track.
\nBerlin historically has been quite good to us. It\u2019s where I had my first victory in Formula E. It\u2019s also a very particular one. Maybe it\u2019s because of the way the track is over there with the concrete–it\u2019s on an old airfield. The concrete is very abrasive and aggressive, which means we need to maneuver carefully, and get the car in at the right window to be able to perform there. Though we\u2019ve had some good races, we have also had some races where we have struggled a little. It\u2019s a challenging race but I\u2019m looking forward to it. It\u2019s a track that suits me as well, and hopefully we manage to get it right again.<\/p>\n
Are there any tracks suited more for Mercedes in the remainder of the season?<\/p>\n
When you look at all the circuits that we have to race in, there are certain circuits where our performance has been stronger and yet other circuits where we have struggled. The championship is bit a different now with the different qualification format. It provides a little more opportunity to equalize the field and to play at the front. I don’t really know if there are any tracks in particular that suit us. It\u2019s just the nature of the championship and the competition being so intense, that if you miss out by a tiny bit, it\u2019s very easy to find yourself on the back foot. I believe it\u2019s all about maximizing every weekend and gain an edge to fight at the forefront on any circuit.<\/p>\n
How important you think it is in the first half of the races to hold back and preserve that energy? Because in the last few days we’ve seen it, the drivers who actually hold back are the ones who end up winning the race.<\/p>\n
It’s always a difficult balance to make obviously because in an ideal situation, you don’t want to fight too much. But when you’re in the top position, you also don’t want to lose out on that position, requiring for you to strike a very delicate balance.
\nFor example, in Rome when I was leading the race and competing with Robin, we ended up wasting energy and then Mitch came through with the energy. I think it’s just the nature of the championship right now, where it’s so competitive, and it\u2019s more about being efficient initially.<\/p>\n
Since Mercedes is going to retire from Formula E, do you believe you will be part of the team\u2019s future plans once the season is over?<\/p>\n
There’s still nothing confirmed on the team\u2019s side, but I think a lot of people know regarding what\u2019s coming. From my side, I would say that there is a lot to analyse in terms of what the best and most competitive package will be, and there are quite a few opportunities out there. In the end, I have to decide what is going to be the best for my future and what is going to get me the most competitive package in order for me to be able to continue racing and winning the races, which is the most important thing for me.<\/p>\n
Coming back to Monaco, in recent times there was some discussion that Monaco should not be in the calendar anymore. What is your take on this, and could you please compare a little bit between Formula E & Formula 1?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know if I should be involved a discussion on whether Monaco should stay on in the calendar or not because ultimately, it\u2019s not in my power. Though the hype and the iconic nature of the event makes it a great race and a great experience. Compared to Formula 1, I believe Formula E is better as in Formula 1, overtaking abilities are so limited and there’s not as much action. This year, Formula E has been quite a good race with a lot of overtaking at the front and a lot of changes for the lead. We had a great race here last year as well.
\n View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stoffel Vandoorne (@svandoorne) <\/p>\n
Are you thinking about winning the championship this season, or do you think it\u2019s still too early to say?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is still way too early, though we are almost halfway through. In Formula E, things can change very quickly and turn around quite drastically, so I’m not really focusing on being the championship lead at the moment and just taking it race by race, which is what I’ve been doing since the start of the year.
\nThe key is to just be consistent, which will also enable me to score the points at every race. This is my main focus at the moment, and we\u2019ll see where we end up later.<\/p>\n
I know a lot of people within the media would say that last year you drove well enough to be a world champion and it was only bad luck that prevented you from winning the title. Do you think last year you were good enough to be world champion and is that driving you this year?<\/p>\n
Yes, I think so. Last year was obviously quite a random season in terms of interpreting what happened. There were definitely a couple of occasions where I had my share of bad luck and lost out on big points during the default group qualifying formats. One of them was in Valencia, where I qualified on pole but then was disqualified, and there was the other race in Rome where Lucas had a problem and both myself and Nyck were out of race. This also happened in Rome, where I was leading the race and then got taken out. If you look at the gap in the end, I didn’t really need that much to just to jump to the top of the tables.
\nThis year, I want to leave no stone unturned as I just want to make sure that I do everything right from my side, and the things I have under my control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You drove well in Rome as well. Can you talk to us about your team dynamics?<\/p>\n
We all have a very good relationship with each other and I wouldn’t say that anything has changed us, though I think Nyck is just going through bit of a rough patch. As it’s such a competitive championship, as soon as you’re not trying hard enough to put all of the little pieces together, it’s very likely to affect your standings a little bit. I think Nyck has got the speed; he’s got everything he needs to be fighting at the front again. I think he’s just going through a little bit of a tricky phase, but I\u2019m convinced he will turn things around and strike back in his own way.<\/p>\n
Considering the success you have had in Formula E in the recent years, are you happy to be a part of this championship?<\/p>\n
Yes, of course. It is now my fourth season and I have been transferred to Mercedes since, and I think we’ve had a pretty successful time together so far. I think this championship is one of the most challenging one in terms of the drivers and how close the competition is. As a race car driver, you want to be in a very competitive championship because when you do well, it is very rewarding and gives you the best feeling.<\/p>\n
Regarding the Gen3, what are the features that you like the most and what do you like aesthetically?<\/p>\n
Well, there are always changes to the rules no matter what series it is, and it’s always quite interesting because the cars look very different. The Gen3 is quite a big upgrade on the technical side, with a lot more power. I think that some of the best things about the car is its performance, the handling and the feeling of the car due to the reduction in weight, which I think will be very noticeable to us drivers and will help improve the handling as well as the ability of the car. I believe the front region is also probably going to change a lot.
\nI’m looking forward to trying it out, and although we are a couple of months away, I think we’ll get there quite quickly. It\u2019s exciting and I’m looking forward to trying it out and experience the car\u2019s performance for myself.<\/p>\n
Will you be racing at Formula E next year? If yes, what team will you be with?<\/p>\n
I want to be in Formula E next year, and that is my mindset for where I want to be in the future. Like I said before, there are a lot of changes happening within our own team at the moment, and the most important thing is to have a competitive package and a competitive car that will enable me to fight for victories and championships.<\/p>\n
Do you think that the entry experience in the category is important or the fact that everyone is starting from zero will be an advantage for the less experienced drivers?<\/p>\n
I think in Formula E, the experience is always important, though the fundamentals of it and the way you drive the car will be unchanged on the most part.
\nThe new rules level out the field a little bit. And I think it might be a little easier for the less experienced drivers to get up to speed and not have that delay, as there are so many new things that we have to learn about, though I still do think that experienced drivers have a bit more of an advantage due to experience.
\n View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stoffel Vandoorne (@svandoorne) <\/p>\n
Mercedes joined Formula E a couple of years ago and managed to win the championship last season. How has the team evolved during the years from a technical point of view?<\/p>\n
There’s been quite a lot of changes in the four years that I’ve been with the team now. Obviously the first year we were a private team and back then, all the technical team was based in Germany for the first two seasons. This winter, it’s moved away from Germany, which again was a big change operationally as a lot of the personnel had to move from Germany.
\nWe had to rebuild a completely new simulator and it’s definitely not been an easy ride, but I think in terms of the mentality within the team, it’s been great. We have a very good team culture where everyone is accepting of mistakes, as we’re all human. This is one of the key points as to why this team is so strong.
\nWhether it’s from a driver\u2019s point of view, an engineering point of view, or strategy, mistakes happen unfortunately, but we’re not afraid to take them to the table, discuss about them and learn from them.<\/p>\n
How difficult is it to swap between the simulation for Formula 1 to Formula E and back?<\/p>\n
To be honest, right now it’s actually something that\u2019s comes naturally to me. I think it was a little bit strange in the very beginning when I had just joined Formula E after leaving Formula 1. The Formula E car is very unique in terms of how you have to drive it, which didn’t feel natural to me in the beginning. I had to take a little bit of time to get used to the driving style and fine tune my own driving style. As I’ve now been in Formula E for a while, the driving feels very natural to me.<\/p>\n
What is the main difference in racing between you and your teammates and what is the secret to your success?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t think there are any secrets to my success. Nyck has obviously been very successful in Formula E over the years\u2014he\u2019s one of the reference drivers and he had also won the championship last year. He\u2019s definitely got a lot of speed, and we keep pushing each other very hard. For Nyck, things may not be going a hundred percent his way at the moment, though I’m feeling quite competent and I’m going to take advantage of that to do my best each race weekend. I want to get the best for myself and for the team and get the best result possible. I have no doubt that they’ll be able to turn things around and that Nyck will be striking back in his own way very soon.<\/p>\n
Would it be important for you to stay a Mercedes driver for a long time or would you be open to other teams \/ manufacturers?<\/p>\n
When I joined Formula E with Mercedes, I was imagining being with Mercedes and Formula E for a very long time. Obviously with the decision being made last year that they are leaving the championship, everyone knows that I have to look for a different solution for the next season.
\nI would love to stay part of the Mercedes family as I have a great relationship with them and I hope to continue with them in some way or form.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Stoffel Vandoorne gears up for the remainder of the season and talks about his racing career. Storming to the top of the driver standings after picking up his first win of the season at the\u00a0Monaco E-Prix, the Mercedes driver is now at the top of the Driver Standings after finishing ahead of Jean-Eric Vergne in second and Mitch Evans in third.
\nThe Monaco race weekend was a successful one for the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, with Stoffel Vandoorne winning the race and Nyck de Vries securing further points and finishing in tenth place, giving the team a clear lead in the Team Championship with 120 points with Stoffel leading the Driver Standings.<\/p>\n
Winning in Monaco must have been something special\u2014can you let us know more about your experience winning in Monaco as compared to the usual races?<\/p>\n
Monaco races are special in any series, and in any category. I\u2019ve raced here in the past for a couple of different series, such as the World Series by Renault GP2, and Formula 1 as well. I won in the GP2 in 2015, which was quite a special feeling as well.
\nLast weekend was my first win in Formula E, which was also my first one of this season, which makes it a very special one. I think this is definitely a race that everyone wants to have in their racing career, with all the hype around it as well as the circuit\u2019s history. I was obviously extremely very happy and so was everyone in the team.<\/p>\n
What are your feelings on the upcoming race in Berlin? How do you like the Berlin track and what are your experiences so far there?<\/p>\n
Berlin is a home race for us, and I\u2019m looking forward to being back on track.
\nBerlin historically has been quite good to us. It\u2019s where I had my first victory in Formula E. It\u2019s also a very particular one. Maybe it\u2019s because of the way the track is over there with the concrete\u2013it\u2019s on an old airfield. The concrete is very abrasive and aggressive, which means we need to maneuver carefully, and get the car in at the right window to be able to perform there. Though we\u2019ve had some good races, we have also had some races where we have struggled a little. It\u2019s a challenging race but I\u2019m looking forward to it. It\u2019s a track that suits me as well, and hopefully we manage to get it right again.<\/p>\n
Are there any tracks suited more for Mercedes in the remainder of the season?<\/p>\n
When you look at all the circuits that we have to race in, there are certain circuits where our performance has been stronger and yet other circuits where we have struggled. The championship is bit a different now with the different qualification format. It provides a little more opportunity to equalize the field and to play at the front. I don\u2019t really know if there are any tracks in particular that suit us. It\u2019s just the nature of the championship and the competition being so intense, that if you miss out by a tiny bit, it\u2019s very easy to find yourself on the back foot. I believe it\u2019s all about maximizing every weekend and gain an edge to fight at the forefront on any circuit.<\/p>\n
How important you think it is in the first half of the races to hold back and preserve that energy? Because in the last few days we\u2019ve seen it, the drivers who actually hold back are the ones who end up winning the race.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s always a difficult balance to make obviously because in an ideal situation, you don\u2019t want to fight too much. But when you\u2019re in the top position, you also don\u2019t want to lose out on that position, requiring for you to strike a very delicate balance.
\nFor example, in Rome when I was leading the race and competing with Robin, we ended up wasting energy and then Mitch came through with the energy. I think it\u2019s just the nature of the championship right now, where it\u2019s so competitive, and it\u2019s more about being efficient initially.<\/p>\n
Since Mercedes is going to retire from Formula E, do you believe you will be part of the team\u2019s future plans once the season is over?<\/p>\n
There\u2019s still nothing confirmed on the team\u2019s side, but I think a lot of people know regarding what\u2019s coming. From my side, I would say that there is a lot to analyse in terms of what the best and most competitive package will be, and there are quite a few opportunities out there. In the end, I have to decide what is going to be the best for my future and what is going to get me the most competitive package in order for me to be able to continue racing and winning the races, which is the most important thing for me.<\/p>\n
Coming back to Monaco, in recent times there was some discussion that Monaco should not be in the calendar anymore. What is your take on this, and could you please compare a little bit between Formula E & Formula 1?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know if I should be involved a discussion on whether Monaco should stay on in the calendar or not because ultimately, it\u2019s not in my power. Though the hype and the iconic nature of the event makes it a great race and a great experience. Compared to Formula 1, I believe Formula E is better as in Formula 1, overtaking abilities are so limited and there\u2019s not as much action. This year, Formula E has been quite a good race with a lot of overtaking at the front and a lot of changes for the lead. We had a great race here last year as well.
\n View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stoffel Vandoorne (@svandoorne) <\/p>\n
Are you thinking about winning the championship this season, or do you think it\u2019s still too early to say?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is still way too early, though we are almost halfway through. In Formula E, things can change very quickly and turn around quite drastically, so I\u2019m not really focusing on being the championship lead at the moment and just taking it race by race, which is what I\u2019ve been doing since the start of the year.
\nThe key is to just be consistent, which will also enable me to score the points at every race. This is my main focus at the moment, and we\u2019ll see where we end up later.<\/p>\n
I know a lot of people within the media would say that last year you drove well enough to be a world champion and it was only bad luck that prevented you from winning the title. Do you think last year you were good enough to be world champion and is that driving you this year?<\/p>\n
Yes, I think so. Last year was obviously quite a random season in terms of interpreting what happened. There were definitely a couple of occasions where I had my share of bad luck and lost out on big points during the default group qualifying formats. One of them was in Valencia, where I qualified on pole but then was disqualified, and there was the other race in Rome where Lucas had a problem and both myself and Nyck were out of race. This also happened in Rome, where I was leading the race and then got taken out. If you look at the gap in the end, I didn\u2019t really need that much to just to jump to the top of the tables.
\nThis year, I want to leave no stone unturned as I just want to make sure that I do everything right from my side, and the things I have under my control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You drove well in Rome as well. Can you talk to us about your team dynamics?<\/p>\n
We all have a very good relationship with each other and I wouldn\u2019t say that anything has changed us, though I think Nyck is just going through bit of a rough patch. As it\u2019s such a competitive championship, as soon as you\u2019re not trying hard enough to put all of the little pieces together, it\u2019s very likely to affect your standings a little bit. I think Nyck has got the speed; he\u2019s got everything he needs to be fighting at the front again. I think he\u2019s just going through a little bit of a tricky phase, but I\u2019m convinced he will turn things around and strike back in his own way.<\/p>\n
Considering the success you have had in Formula E in the recent years, are you happy to be a part of this championship?<\/p>\n
Yes, of course. It is now my fourth season and I have been transferred to Mercedes since, and I think we\u2019ve had a pretty successful time together so far. I think this championship is one of the most challenging one in terms of the drivers and how close the competition is. As a race car driver, you want to be in a very competitive championship because when you do well, it is very rewarding and gives you the best feeling.<\/p>\n
Regarding the Gen3, what are the features that you like the most and what do you like aesthetically?<\/p>\n
Well, there are always changes to the rules no matter what series it is, and it\u2019s always quite interesting because the cars look very different. The Gen3 is quite a big upgrade on the technical side, with a lot more power. I think that some of the best things about the car is its performance, the handling and the feeling of the car due to the reduction in weight, which I think will be very noticeable to us drivers and will help improve the handling as well as the ability of the car. I believe the front region is also probably going to change a lot.
\nI\u2019m looking forward to trying it out, and although we are a couple of months away, I think we\u2019ll get there quite quickly. It\u2019s exciting and I\u2019m looking forward to trying it out and experience the car\u2019s performance for myself.<\/p>\n
Will you be racing at Formula E next year? If yes, what team will you be with?<\/p>\n
I want to be in Formula E next year, and that is my mindset for where I want to be in the future. Like I said before, there are a lot of changes happening within our own team at the moment, and the most important thing is to have a competitive package and a competitive car that will enable me to fight for victories and championships.<\/p>\n
Do you think that the entry experience in the category is important or the fact that everyone is starting from zero will be an advantage for the less experienced drivers?<\/p>\n
I think in Formula E, the experience is always important, though the fundamentals of it and the way you drive the car will be unchanged on the most part.
\nThe new rules level out the field a little bit. And I think it might be a little easier for the less experienced drivers to get up to speed and not have that delay, as there are so many new things that we have to learn about, though I still do think that experienced drivers have a bit more of an advantage due to experience.
\n View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stoffel Vandoorne (@svandoorne) <\/p>\n
Mercedes joined Formula E a couple of years ago and managed to win the championship last season. How has the team evolved during the years from a technical point of view?<\/p>\n
There\u2019s been quite a lot of changes in the four years that I\u2019ve been with the team now. Obviously the first year we were a private team and back then, all the technical team was based in Germany for the first two seasons. This winter, it\u2019s moved away from Germany, which again was a big change operationally as a lot of the personnel had to move from Germany.
\nWe had to rebuild a completely new simulator and it\u2019s definitely not been an easy ride, but I think in terms of the mentality within the team, it\u2019s been great. We have a very good team culture where everyone is accepting of mistakes, as we\u2019re all human. This is one of the key points as to why this team is so strong.
\nWhether it\u2019s from a driver\u2019s point of view, an engineering point of view, or strategy, mistakes happen unfortunately, but we\u2019re not afraid to take them to the table, discuss about them and learn from them.<\/p>\n
How difficult is it to swap between the simulation for Formula 1 to Formula E and back?<\/p>\n
To be honest, right now it\u2019s actually something that\u2019s comes naturally to me. I think it was a little bit strange in the very beginning when I had just joined Formula E after leaving Formula 1. The Formula E car is very unique in terms of how you have to drive it, which didn\u2019t feel natural to me in the beginning. I had to take a little bit of time to get used to the driving style and fine tune my own driving style. As I\u2019ve now been in Formula E for a while, the driving feels very natural to me.<\/p>\n
What is the main difference in racing between you and your teammates and what is the secret to your success?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t think there are any secrets to my success. Nyck has obviously been very successful in Formula E over the years\u2014he\u2019s one of the reference drivers and he had also won the championship last year. He\u2019s definitely got a lot of speed, and we keep pushing each other very hard. For Nyck, things may not be going a hundred percent his way at the moment, though I\u2019m feeling quite competent and I\u2019m going to take advantage of that to do my best each race weekend. I want to get the best for myself and for the team and get the best result possible. I have no doubt that they\u2019ll be able to turn things around and that Nyck will be striking back in his own way very soon.<\/p>\n
Would it be important for you to stay a Mercedes driver for a long time or would you be open to other teams \/ manufacturers?<\/p>\n
When I joined Formula E with Mercedes, I was imagining being with Mercedes and Formula E for a very long time. Obviously with the decision being made last year that they are leaving the championship, everyone knows that I have to look for a different solution for the next season.
\nI would love to stay part of the Mercedes family as I have a great relationship with them and I hope to continue with them in some way or form.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216238"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=216238"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":216240,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216238\/revisions\/216240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=216238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=216238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=216238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}