McLaren turnaround pinpointed in Aston Martin 'time' comparison

Stoffel Vandoorne believes Aston Martin needs "time" to reap the rewards of its ambitious F1 project, which has so far failed to live up to expectations.

As reserve driver for the Silverstone squad, he is well positioned to comment on how the team is developing, as it is doing so around him.

There has been significant investment into facilities, personnel and available resources by billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll, but results on track have thus far flattered to deceive.

The grand vision for Aston Martin has been headlined by the capture of Adrian Newey from Red Bull as the team reinvents itself.

That is the stage Vandoorne sees project in now, as he cautions patience with the process as part of an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.

"There's a very good group of people within Aston Martin, but this is Formula 1," The 32-year-old said. "You just don't build a winning team in one year.

"You look at Ferrari, you look at Mercedes, you look at Red Bull, McLaren. They've all needed time to rebuild, to restructure, to make the machine work.

"And I think that's the phase we are in. We have some great people and sometimes all you need is time."

Following the McLaren blueprint

Vandoorne, raced in F1 for McLaren in 2017 and 2018 - as well as deputising once for Fernando Alonso in 2016 - and highlighted the Woking squad as a good example of how an under-performing team can transform its fortunes.

The 2022 Formula E drivers' champion detailed the process McLaren went through, which Aston Martin appears to be mirroring now.

Over the winter, team principal Mike Krack was shuffled to chief trackside engineer as Andy Cowell assumed those duties in extension of his existing role as CEO.

"You need to figure out where the people belong, because it doesn't mean when they're in one position today, that is their optimised position, let's say," Vandoorne explained.

"If you look at McLaren, that's kind of what they've done. They've had the same people for a long time, and it has not worked for five years or six years or even longer, and then now they're one of the references - that's because they've reshuffled a few people, given different responsibilities.

"And I think that's what makes it so hard to make the Formula 1 machine work."