Vandoorne ‘I enjoyed every lap’ as he tested out the AMR23 for the first time at Pirelli’s Spa test

Aston Martin’s reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne got his first run in an F1 car in 2023 around a wet Spa-Francorchamps Circuit.

After finishing P5 in the final race of season nine in Formula E at the London E-Prix and 11th in the Drivers’ Championship, Vandoorne made his return to Formula 1, in some capacity, as he drove Aston Martin’s 2023 challenger in his home country of Belgium in Pirelli’s tyre test.

However, due to the wet conditions across the two days, Aston Martin and McLaren, who attended the test, were unable to use any of Pirelli’s no blanket slick tyres. This meant that both teams only used wet and intermediate tyres.

Vandoorne has not made an appearance in F1 since testing in 2021 for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi. Over the two days, the Belgium driver put up the best time in tricky conditions with a 1.57.631, completing 53 laps and beating the likes of Lance Stroll, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the process.

Vandoorne happy to be back in a F1 car

After testing, Vandoorne spoke to the media, as he reflected on the opportunity to drive in a F1 once again and gain valuable experience in the new era of cars.

How was that, @svandoorne? ?️

Debrief with Stoffel after his first day behind the wheel of the #AMR23 at the @pirellisport Tyre Test in Spa! pic.twitter.com/znd60wpC5H

— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) August 2, 2023

“It was great to be back in an F1 car today driving the AMR23,” he said. “It’s been a while and it was also my first time driving in green with Aston Martin.”

“To do it at Spa was also very special, for obvious reasons, despite the wet weather. We ran on wet tyres in the morning and then as conditions improved into the afternoon we ran through the programme on the intermediate tyres. The car felt good even in these wet conditions, and I enjoyed every lap.”

With the next Pirelli test scheduled for after the summer break in Monza, could we see Vandoorne feature once again, after impressing around Spa?

Feature Image Credit: Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team on Twitter