Vandoorne admits "it hurts" Mercedes didn't pick him
Stoffel Vandoorne has admitted that it "hurts" not to have been chosen to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes this weekend, but says he respects the Formula 1 team's decision.
The Belgian is the official Mercedes reserve driver and would have been an obvious choice to be slotted in after Hamilton was forced out due to coronavirus.
Vandoorne was always due to be in Bahrain as part of his regular reserve duties, and he travelled there from Formula E testing unsure exactly of whether or not he would get the chance to race.
However, Mercedes opted to go for a different route in replacing Hamilton as it agreed a deal with Williams for it to release George Russell.
The young Briton is a member of its young driver programme, and it was felt that his current race experience and understanding of Pirelli's tyres with Williams made him a better bet for slotting in at such short notice.
Plus, a chance with the works team would give him a perfect opportunity to show what he can do in a top car.
With Williams promoting its reserve driver, Jack Aitken, to take Russell's place this weekend, it means Vandoorne will be sitting on the sidelines again.
Posting on his social media feeds, Vandoorne said that he was obviously disappointed about not getting the chance for an F1 comeback, but said he would continue trying all he could to make it happen in the future.
"Firstly, I want to wish Lewis Hamilton a speedy recovery and hopefully he'll be back in the car ASAP," said Vandoorne. "Nobody can really replace him.
"Obviously I'm disappointed not to get the chance to drive for [Mercedes] this weekend. After having spent the year travelling to all F1 races and dedicating so much time, physical training, commitment to this programme... it hurts!
"On the other hand, I respect the choice of putting George Russell in the car. He has been one of the standout drivers and he fully deserves this opportunity.
"It's moments like these that make my drive even bigger and I can assure you I'm going to continue giving 100%.
"Thank you so much everyone for all your supportive messages. It's been great to see."
Related video
F1 should "do everything" to bring forward new engines - Wolff
Russell got Wolff call at 2am while in the bathroom
How getting sacked from Benetton made Mercedes' Allison
He’s had a hand in world championship-winning Formula 1 cars for Benetton, Renault and Mercedes, and was also a cog in the Schumacher-Ferrari axis. Having recently ‘moved upstairs’ as Mercedes chief technical officer, James Allison tells Stuart Codling about his career path and why being axed by Benetton was one of the best things that ever happened to him.
The remarkable qualities that propelled Kubica’s F1 comeback
It’s easy to look at Robert Kubica’s second Formula 1 career and feel a sense of sadness that he didn’t reach the heights for which he seemed destined. But as Ben Anderson discovered, performance and results are almost meaningless in this context – something more fundamental and incredible happened…
The humbling changes Ricciardo made to deliver for McLaren
From being lapped by his own teammate in Monaco to winning at Monza, it’s been a tumultuous first season at McLaren for Daniel Ricciardo. But, as he tells STUART CODLING, there’s more to the story of his turnaround than having a lovely summer holiday during Formula 1's summer break...
The potential benefits of losing the F1 constructors' title
As the battle continues to rage over the F1 2021 drivers' championship, teams up and down the grid are turning their attentions to the prize money attributed to each position in the constructors' standings. But F1's sliding scale rules governing wind tunnel and CFD use will soften the blow for those who miss out on the top places
The invisible enemy that's made Hamilton's title charge tougher
After winning his past few Formula 1 titles as a canter, Lewis Hamilton currently trails Max Verstappen by eight points heading into the final double-header of 2021. Although Red Bull has been his biggest on-track challenge, Hamilton feels that he has just as much to grapple with away from the circuit
Why F1's inconvenient penalties have to stay
OPINION: Quibbles over the length of time taken by Formula 1's stewards over decisions are entirely valid. But however inconvenient it is, there can be no questioning the importance of having clearly defined rules that everyone understands and can stick to. Recent events have shown that ambiguity could have big consequences
The mistakes Red Bull cannot afford to repeat in F1 2021's title fight climax
OPINION: Red Bull has had Formula 1’s fastest package for most of 2021, but in several of the title run-in events it has wasted the RB16B’s potential. It cannot afford to do so again with Lewis Hamilton motoring back towards Max Verstappen in the drivers’ standings with two rounds remaining
Qatar Grand Prix driver ratings
Qatar was a virtual unknown for most as Formula 1 made its inaugural visit to the Gulf state, and tyre management quickly emerged as an even more critical factor than normal. Perhaps then it should come as no surprise that two of the championship's elder statesmen produced standout drives