Stoffel Vandoorne Can Cement His Status as McLaren’s ‘Next 1’ at Bahrain GP

Stoffel Vandoorne made his much-anticipated Formula One debut on Friday, during free practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix. The 24-year-old McLaren reserve is a last-minute substitute for Fernando Alonso, who was injured in a high-speed crash in Melbourne, Australia, two weeks ago and ruled out of this weekend's race by the FIA following a medical examination. This isn't Vandoorne's first time in an F1 car; he has tested for McLaren, including at the Pirelli wet-tyre test in January. However, Friday marked his first time driving the team's 2016 challenger and his first time driving during an official grand prix weekend. Still, expectations are high for the young Belgian. He dominated the GP2 series last year, winning the championship by ...

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