F1: Stoffel Vandoorne to Drive 2023 Aston Martin AMR23 in Pirelli Tyre Test Post Belgian GP

Though he is on the Aston Martin team as a test and reserve driver this year, Belgian racer Stoffel Vandoorne has yet to complete a single lap in a 2023 F1 car. At the conclusion of the Belgian Grand Prix, at long last, that will occur. The next Pirelli test will include the defending Formula E champion for the British team. The event will take place on August 1st and 2nd at Spa. He hasn't driven a Formula One vehicle since 2020 when he had a test drive for a Mercedes AMG in Abu Dhabi. While the major emphasis of the Spa test will be on Pirelli's blanket-free tyres, Vandoorne will benefit from getting a look at the new 2023 F1 vehicles. For forthcoming racing weekends, this will help him better correlate his simulator work with Aston Martin. Vandoorne, Aston's backup driver, will drive alongside Lance Stroll, the team's regular driver. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, both McLaren drivers, will each have a day behind the wheel. 

F1: Who is Stoffel Vandoorne?

In 2016, Vandoorne made his Formula One debut with McLaren when he filled in for Alonso at the Bahrain Grand Prix. After that, he raced alongside Fernando Alonso for two full seasons with Honda Power and then Renault. After being released by McLaren at the end of 2018, he rebuilt his career in Formula E, eventually becoming the 2021-22 Formula E champion for Mercedes, for whom he also served as a Formula 1 reserve driver. He is presently a reserve for the Peugeot WEC team and drives for the DS Penske Formula E squad.

Stoffel will get behind the wheel of the AMR23 on the 1st-2nd August for the Pirelli Tyre Test at Spa-Francorchamps. #BelgianGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/DMcmBPqHw7

— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) July 25, 2023

The 31-year-old alternates with the reigning Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich as the Aston reserve driver in the 2023 season. Vandoorne is one of the reserve drivers for McLaren in addition to his commitments with Aston, and his performance at Spa would help him transition into the MCL60 if called upon. The similarities between the two vehicles' controls, including the Mercedes power unit, will help him get a feel for the 2023 cars' downforce levels.

F1: Aston Martins's Recent Performance Drop

The Silverstone squad came out of nowhere to become an early season favourite. Fast as a flash in practice, Fernando Alonso lived up to his reputation once the regular season started. While Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll brought home a pair of points for Aston Martin in the Hungarian Grand Prix, they finished much behind the leading Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari. 

In the first eight races of the 2023 season, Alonso finished on the podium six times for Aston Martin. This included second place finishes in both the Monaco and Canada races, behind championship leader Max Verstappen. The Silverstone squad used to be at the forefront of the race, but in the previous three rounds, they have finished no better than fifth in Austria, seventh in Britain, and tenth in Hungary.

After eleven races, Aston Martin has 184 points, good enough for third position in the constructors' championship standings at the moment.

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