Stoffel Vandoorne will join Fernando Alonso at McLaren for the 2017 Formula 1 season, it has been confirmed, with Jenson Button stepping down.
Button has a two-year contract with McLaren, with an option to return as a race driver in 2018. But he will not race next year and will take on a new ambassador role at the team.
He will also help with car development and take on a reserve driver position. The British driver has been racing for McLaren since the 2010 season, moving to the team after his 2009 championship-winning year at Brawn GP.
Vandoorne made his F1 debut for McLaren at this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix to replace the injured Alonso, finishing in 10th place.
The highly-rated Belgian driver won the GP2 title in 2015 and is currently holds a reserve driver role at McLaren. He will be promoted to a race seat for 2017.
"I’m delighted that I’ll be staying on as a key member of the McLaren-Honda team," Button said. "In fact I’m massively excited about my new role, which has come about as a result of a number of in-depth chats with Ron [Dennis].
"Specifically, I’m looking forward to becoming even more deeply involved in the team’s efforts to bring about the success we’ve all been striving to deliver.
"I love McLaren-Honda – I firmly believe it’s made up of the best bunch of people I’ve ever worked with – and I have no intention of ever driving for another Formula 1 team.
"To be clear, I’m very definitely not retiring. I’m contracted for both 2017 and 2018, I intend to work hard on car-development, and I’m sure I’ll get behind the wheel of the new car at some point."
Vandoorne added: "First of all, I want to express my gratitude to everyone at McLaren-Honda, and especially Ron, for showing faith in me.
"I’ve signed loads of autographs in my career, but, when I inked my signature on my McLaren-Honda contract today, it’s safe to say I had an exceptionally special feeling as I picked up my pen to do so.
"It’s an enormous honour to become a McLaren-Honda race driver, and I promise to work as hard as any Formula 1 driver ever has before.
"I already know the team extremely well – they’re a fantastic group of extremely clever people – and I’ve already raced the car once and tested it often.
"I have total confidence in the potential of the McLaren-Honda project, and I firmly believe that, racing alongside a brilliant and experienced driver, I’ll be able to make a strong contribution to the team’s future world championship successes.
"I’m not saying when that’ll happen, but I’m confident that that’s what the McLaren-Honda team will achieve, and I’m determined to do my bit.
"There are a lot of other people whom I’d like to take this opportunity to thank – too many to list in fact. So all I can say is: you know who you are, and thank you."
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He will also help with car development and take on a reserve driver position. The British driver has been racing for McLaren since the 2010 season, moving to the team after his 2009 championship-winning year at Brawn GP.
Vandoorne made his F1 debut for McLaren at this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix to replace the injured Alonso, finishing in 10th place.
The highly-rated Belgian driver won the GP2 title in 2015 and is currently holds a reserve driver role at McLaren. He will be promoted to a race seat for 2017.
"I’m delighted that I’ll be staying on as a key member of the McLaren-Honda team," Button said. "In fact I’m massively excited about my new role, which has come about as a result of a number of in-depth chats with Ron [Dennis].
"Specifically, I’m looking forward to becoming even more deeply involved in the team’s efforts to bring about the success we’ve all been striving to deliver.
"I love McLaren-Honda – I firmly believe it’s made up of the best bunch of people I’ve ever worked with – and I have no intention of ever driving for another Formula 1 team.
"To be clear, I’m very definitely not retiring. I’m contracted for both 2017 and 2018, I intend to work hard on car-development, and I’m sure I’ll get behind the wheel of the new car at some point."
Vandoorne added: "First of all, I want to express my gratitude to everyone at McLaren-Honda, and especially Ron, for showing faith in me.
"I’ve signed loads of autographs in my career, but, when I inked my signature on my McLaren-Honda contract today, it’s safe to say I had an exceptionally special feeling as I picked up my pen to do so.
"It’s an enormous honour to become a McLaren-Honda race driver, and I promise to work as hard as any Formula 1 driver ever has before.
"I already know the team extremely well – they’re a fantastic group of extremely clever people – and I’ve already raced the car once and tested it often.
"I have total confidence in the potential of the McLaren-Honda project, and I firmly believe that, racing alongside a brilliant and experienced driver, I’ll be able to make a strong contribution to the team’s future world championship successes.
"I’m not saying when that’ll happen, but I’m confident that that’s what the McLaren-Honda team will achieve, and I’m determined to do my bit.
"There are a lot of other people whom I’d like to take this opportunity to thank – too many to list in fact. So all I can say is: you know who you are, and thank you."
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