F1 2016: Stoffel Vandoorne to make F1 debut as Alonso replacement in Bahrain

The highly rated Belgian racing driver Stoffel Vandoorne will make his Formula 1 racing debut earlier than expected after McLaren-Honda announced that former two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso will miss this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Spaniard was not cleared to race by doctors who examined him at the venue of the Bahrain GP this morning. Vandoorne, a McLaren junior driver, who has been placed in the Japan-based Super Formula series, is the reigning GP2 Series champion along with being McLaren's reserve driver.

His dominant form in the 2012 Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and last year's GP2 Series as a rookie marked him out as a driver to watch by F1's talent scouts.

The 24-year-old has often been rumored to be Jenson Button's replacement at the team when the 2009 world champion eventually retires from F1, allowing for the creation of a driver-pairing with Alonso that could really help push the team further up the grid.

However, the team's struggle to return to the sharp end of the F1 grid is, at the moment, a lot more dependant on the development of Honda's power unit than who the team puts in the cockpit of their cars.

The Belgian's debut is highly anticipated by F1 fans and those in the paddock who are keen to see if Vandoorne can shine in a package that is far from the best on the grid and punch above the car's weight, so to speak.