Vandoorne hoping for fitting goodbye to McLaren

Stoffel Vandoorne is determined to perform better for the rest of the season as he says his farewell to McLaren, with the Belgian driver being replaced by Lando Norris for the 2019 season.

Vandoorne's attention is solely on Russia at the weekend at the moment, though and he is eager for a positive weekend in Sochi. 

"I hope that we can continue to make progress in Russia and get ahead," Vandoorne said to Motorsport.com. "Although I had a disappointing qualification in Singapore, we showed that our race is better.

"For me, it is now especially important to get a good result on Saturday (Qualifying) too, so that we give ourseves the best possible chance for Sunday."

Vandoorne admitted that Singapore suited the team's MCL33 more than perhaps Sochi does and says that if the team does do well on this race weekend, then it will be down to tactical decisions made by the side.

"I felt comfortable in the car (in Singapore) and we could really push," Vandoorne admitted. "During this race, the strategy and tyre wear will mainly become important, and in particular to keep the hypersoft alive from Friday.

"In terms of performance, this job is a bit different for us than Singapore, the layout is completely different and it is difficult to adjust. But first I hope for a flawless Friday, so that we can start the weekend strongly and then get the most out of each session."