Origins
Born in Roeselare, West Flanders, Vandoorne was introduced to motorsport at the age of six during a visit to the kart track of World Karts in Kortrijk, Belgium. His father facilitated this introduction, providing him with a mini-kart after the track owner offered it. Initial funding limitations restricted him to only three or four races per year.
Breakthrough
Vandoorne began single-seater racing in 2010, joining the F4 Eurocup 1.6 series, which he won with six victories and three further podium finishes. This win secured him a place in the FIA Driver Academy and funding to progress to the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 the following year. In 2012, racing for Josef Kaufmann Racing in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, he won the championship by ten points after a tight battle with Daniil Kvyat. He then progressed to Formula Renault 3.5 in 2013, finishing runner-up to Kevin Magnussen with four wins and ten podiums, including a victory at Spa-Francorchamps.
Peak seasons
In 2014, Vandoorne debuted in GP2 with ART, immediately claiming his first victory at Bahrain. He followed this with four consecutive pole positions and three more wins at the Hungaroring, Monza, and Yas Marina, finishing runner-up to Jolyon Palmer. He continued with ART in 2015, dominating the championship with five feature race wins, twelve podiums, and four pole positions, taking the title in Sochi. Vandoorne holds the record for all-time most wins, most feature race wins, most pole positions, most consecutive pole positions, most podiums, most podiums in a season, most points, and most points in a single season in GP2 history.
In February 2016, Vandoorne joined McLaren's Young Driver Programme, under the tutelage of Richard Goddard, Sam Michael and Matt Bishop. He made his Formula One debut with McLaren at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix, substituting for an injured Fernando Alonso and scoring points after outqualifying Jenson Button. He partnered Alonso as a full-time driver in 2017, scoring several points finishes despite the uncompetitive McLaren package. He secured points in Hungary, Malaysia and Singapore. He was retained by McLaren for the 2018 season, but struggled to maintain momentum, finishing 16th in the drivers’ championship.
Defining incidents
Vandoorne’s Formula One career was marked by the unreliability and performance limitations of the McLaren chassis. Despite impressive battles, notably with Esteban Ocon and Romain Grosjean in the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, consistent results proved elusive. After leaving Formula One at the end of 2018, Vandoorne transitioned to Formula E with HWA for the 2018–19 season, achieving his maiden pole position at the Hong Kong ePrix.
Beyond the primary series
Vandoorne entered sportscar racing in 2021, finishing runner-up in the LMP2 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship with Jota. He joined the Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar project in 2023, making his premier class WEC debut at the 6 Hours of Fuji. He also participated in a test with Arrow McLaren SP in the IndyCar Series at Sebring International Raceway in December 2021.
Formula E career
Vandoorne moved to Mercedes-EQ for the 2019–20 Formula E season, finishing runner-up to António Félix da Costa after winning a race in Berlin. He continued with Mercedes-EQ, winning the 2021–22 Formula E World Championship after scoring eight podium finishes, including a win at the Monaco ePrix. He then moved to DS Penske for the 2022–23 and 2023-24 seasons, before joining Maserati for the 2024-25 season.
Honours
Vandoorne was Belgian KF2 Champion in 2008 and won the 'steering wheel' competition held by the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium in 2009. He won the 2010 F4 Eurocup, the 2012 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, and the 2015 GP2 Series championship. He was the 2021-22 Formula E World Champion. He remains a reserve driver for Aston Martin in Formula One and continues to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Peugeot.
Gallery · 4 related images
