Stoffel Vandoorne said he has enjoyed working alonside Alonso and Stroll at Aston Martin. Image: XPB Images
As the team adapts to sweeping regulation changes and a new Honda power unit, the Belgian reserve driver has shifted his focus from a split schedule of Formula E and World Endurance Championship commitments to a more active role in the Formula 1 garage and simulator.
“Now obviously Formula E has stopped and I have much more time to be involved in my role with Aston Martin,” Vandoorne told Speedcafe, reflecting on how his calendar has opened up in the second half of 2025.
“So I’m definitely attending a lot more races nowadays in the second part of the year. I’m also spending much more time in the sim basically before the events.
“And yeah kind of gradually shifting the focus towards 2026 as well with all the development that is ongoing.”
Vandoorne’s racing career remains as dynamic as ever, spanning multiple series with consistent success.
Across seven Formula E seasons from 2018 to 2025, he made 103 starts, scored four wins, 17 podiums, and eight poles, claiming the 2021‑22 championship with Mercedes and finishing runner-up in 2019‑20 to Antonio Felix da Costa.
His 2024/25 campaign with Maserati was highlighted by a standout Tokyo victory, the team’s sole win in the GEN3 Evo era.
With Maserati set to be replaced by Citroen next season, Vandoorne has now secured a new role as reserve driver for Jaguar TCS Racing for Season 12, alongside long-serving simulator and reserve driver Tom Dillmann.
Vandoorne also remains without a full-time FIA World Endurance Championship seat for 2026 after a late twist in WEC silly season.
A planned move to Genesis Magma Racing fell through over Formula E commitments, and Peugeot — which had initially planned to replace him — has now re-signed him for a third consecutive season in the 9X8 Hypercar.
While he won’t race at next month’s Bahrain 8 Hours, with Theo Pourchaire taking his seat, he will remain part of Peugeot’s roster beyond 2025.
Across 22 WEC races, Vandoorne has claimed eight podiums, including a second-place finish in the 2021 championship with Jota and a podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2019 for SMP Racing.
Looking ahead, Vandoorne acknowledged his 2026 plans are still taking shape.
“We’re working on a few different plans, different scenarios,” he said.
“One thing is having a short-term view, but also the long-term view.
“So, yeah, we’ll see how that is going to pan out.”
Outside of his racing commitments, Vandoorne remains deeply involved in Aston Martin’s operations.
He attends pre-event meetings, debriefs, and works closely on the simulator to help fine-tune setups, all while supporting the drivers, the broader team, and staying ready to step in if needed.
“What is important for us is that we’re putting together a strong group of people,” he said.
“We’ve got some very competent people within the team right now and we’re hopefully going to start seeing some of the results of that.”
That perspective also extends to his interactions with Aston Martin’s race drivers.
On working with Fernando Alonso again, his McLaren teammate between 2017 and 2018, Vandoorne said it had been a similar but different experience.
Vandoorne with Alonso during their time at McLaren. Image: XPB Images
“I think he’s still got the same motivation,” he explained.
“I think he probably changed his approach a little bit of how he’s working with teams and obviously he’s got a bit more experience as well. How to deal with certain situations.
“I think he’s a little bit different than he used to be back then.”
He also praised Lance Stroll’s work ethic and progress, adding that the pair have a close bond.
“We talk a lot through the weekends,” Vandoorne said.
“We’re kind of more a similar age and we kind of drove or started Formula 1 around a similar time.
“We kind of have a few more things in common and yeah we’re just trying to talk about a lot of stuff. About his feelings in the car. I try to kind of add my comments to that.
“Lance is a hard worker. So just got to try and make the car a bit quicker at the moment and hopefully we’ll see the results soon.”
The 2026 rules shake-up presents both a challenge and an opportunity for Aston Martin, and Vandoorne sees the team approaching it with measured optimism.
“I think it’s a little bit of an unknown for everyone to be honest at this stage,” he said.
“For sure, the cars are going to feel quite different. The regulations are very different.
“We could see some big surprises across the grid. But it’s kind of all up in the air.
“One in Formula 1 is it won’t change from one day to another. You need a bit of time.
“But if you look over the last couple of months, the people that we brought on board, I think it’s going in the right direction.
“Hopefully we start seeing some of the results from that.”