Jacky Ickx is the most illustrious of 24 Belgian Formula 1 drivers that have raced at the highest level and at 74 still follows the sport avidly, and although he rates young Stoffel Vandoorne highly he believes only Fernando Alonso has the capacity to lift McLaren from the doldrums.
The eight-times Grand Prix winner who raced for the likes of Ferrari and Lotus in their heyday, "In general, in Belgium they have high expectations for Stoffel, this is his second season at McLaren... the time that has passed never comes back, but I'm still positive and confident."
"Stoffel is a fast driver, he has not lost his talent, he is the second driver on the team and there are many problems that we do not know about. He may be missing this opportunity to break the barrier and establish himself, like everyone else, as a number one in the short or medium term, but I still believe in him."
"We do not live inside the team, we do not know what is happening there. McLaren does not occupy the place it usually occupies, it is facing big problems."
Putting aside his sentiments, Ickx added, "To get out of the hole they are in they have concentrate and focus their energy on Fernando Alonso because he is clearly their number one driver."
Vandoorne's time at McLaren coincides with a new era for the team as they attempt to rebuild themselves into the powerhouse they once were. Last year, his rookie season was plagued with bad reliability and a woeful Honda-powered car.
This year McLaren have produced a sub-standard car, way off their preseason target of Red Bull, which has hampered Vandoorne as he has been comprehensively out driven by his veteran teammate as he was for most of last season too.
Big Question: Is it right for McLaren to focus on Fernando at the expense of Stoffel for the greater good?
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