Vandoorne to stay in F1 next year ’100pc’ - manager

Stoffel Vandoorne’s manager has rated the Belgian driver’s chances of staying in F1 next year at "100 per cent".

It is rumoured not only that the McLaren driver could lose his seat at the end of the year, but as early as the next races in Monza or Singapore.

Vandoorne had an abysmal home race at Spa-Francorchamps, normally at the bottom of the timesheets amid rumours he is set to be imminently ousted.

"There are always rumours but I think there were too many this weekend that do not really reflect reality," his manager Alessandro Alunni Bravi told the Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

"Stoffel is a McLaren driver in 2018 and he will be there until the end of the season, that’s for sure."

As for the rumours Vandoorne could have to find another seat for 2019, he added: "Many drivers are talking with teams to explore possibilities. The same is true for us.

"We want to get a good car for Stoffel and he has to focus on his work, so I’m looking at all the options. McLaren is the priority for us.

"But if the team is not a good option for next year, we’ll look at other options that are there for Stoffel," Alunni Bravi added.

"He’s a super professional guy who handles the pressure, he’s calm but that doesn’t mean he is not aggressive. I give him a 100pc chance to be in F1 next year.

"I don’t have a guarantee, but he is still one of the youngest drivers in the paddock and this is all something agreed by McLaren and many other teams," he concluded.