Vandoorne not having a seat is 'unfathomable' - Buxton

Formula One commentator and pundit Will Buxton believes it is "unfathomable" that Stoffel Vandoorne's future is up in the air and that he might not be involved as a main driver in the 2019 season as the Belgian is a "great talent".

In his column for the official Formula One website, Buxton launches a fierce defence of Vandoorne, who has recently been ditched by McLaren, with the team opting to promote Lando Norris and take on Carlos Sainz.

"It seems almost unfathomable to me that we sit here today with this mighty talent facing an uncertain future," Buxton writes.

"There is every chance that he won’t be lining up on the F1 grid in 2019, a thought that I regard as both tragic and infuriating.

"Of course, Vandoorne’s results have been nowhere near the expectations we’d built for him on his arrival. How could they be in a car that even Fernando Alonso has struggled to drag into a respectable position?

"Vandoorne finished just four points behind his team-mate and one of the most highly regarded drivers in the sport in his first full season, something that is perhaps overlooked.

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"As are the raw statistics which show that, from a pace perspective, he’s been one of the closest team-mates Alonso has ever had.

"Yet the impression remains that he’s underperformed."

So far, Vandoorne has enjoyed his best racing days in his youth where he was viewed as a future world champion. However, Buxton speculated that he could simply be not suited to F1 racing.

"Perhaps, some might crow, he’s just not cut out for Formula 1," Buxton continued.

"It wouldn’t be the first time a mega junior has graduated to the top level only to discover his peak had already been reached. There have been countless racers who’ve looked godlike on their way up the ladder, only to reach the summit and discover the final step to have been one too far."