Renault eyes Vandoorne for future seat

Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul has admitted he has an eye on Stoffel Vandoorne.

Renault might have a vacancy for 2019, as Carlos Sainz is linked with a return to Red Bull to replace Daniel Ricciardo.

And Abiteboul has admitted McLaren driver Vandoorne is an attractive option for the future.

"Do not say that Stoffel will join Renault because it is absolutely not the case," he told La Derniere Heure.

"But he is a driver that we look at. When I wonder about the possible options, I take Vandoorne into consideration."

Vandoorne entered F1 as a highly rated rookie last year, but has at times struggled alongside Fernando Alonso at McLaren.

Abiteboul said: "I think his situation is quite difficult. I don’t know the ins and outs, but sometimes a change of environment allows a driver to get the oxygen to bounce back.

"He was fast, talented, consistent in all of the lower categories and there is no reason for all that to disappear," he insisted. "But when you have Fernando next door it’s complicated, especially in McLaren’s circumstances of recent years.

"But he is a high level driver that we can look at in the future, depending on how our situation evolves," said Abiteboul.