Vandoorne plays down performance gap to Alonso in 2017

Stoffel Vandoorne has endured a tough start to his Formula 1 career as competing in an unreliable and slow McLaren-Honda has left him at the back of the grid on most occasions. Despite making an impressive debut at Bahrain in 2016, the Belgian has struggled to get near the pace of teammate Fernando Alonso.

Alonso bagged his first points of the season in Baku two weeks ago while Vandoorne is still yet to finish inside the top 10. Alonso previously admitted that this season has been difficult for Vandoorne, but the 25-year-old insists that himself and Alonso are incomparable.

"I don't think you can compare us yet," Vandoorne stated. "The two cars are almost never on the track at the same time and under the same conditions. When one runs the other has problems. If you look at the results - the numbers - it's true that Alonso is ahead, but we'll see what it looks like when there are not so many interfering variables."

Amid the streak of disappointing performances, Vandoorne has no doubts in his ability to prove himself in the pinnacle of motorsport: "I have no doubts," he said, "and once I have a fast car it will show. "The timing of our project requires us to work together to overcome the difficulties, so this is the priority."

Eric Boullier was faced with the question in Austria which suggested that perhaps the performance deficit between the two drivers is because of inequality in the equipment supplied to the drivers.

"It is 100 percent false," the Frenchman told the RTBF broadcaster. "Many people forget that it takes time for young drivers who arrive in Formula 1. Even Verstappen had to acclimatise at Toro Rosso, and it was the same for Ricciardo and many others," said Boullier.

"What is more difficult for Stoffel is that he has one of the best drivers on the grid at his side. But when he really has the car he needs, as at the beginning of the weekend here in Austria, he is at most a tenth behind," he added.

Fergal Walsh