Stoffel Vandoorne boasts a wealth of experience on street circuits, surpassing many current F1 drivers. The Belgian has been active in Formula E for years, where street circuits are commonplace. Moreover, during his time at McLaren, Vandoorne also raced on numerous street circuits in Formula 1. But are these circuits beautiful or challenging, and could any Formula E street circuits make it onto the F1 calendar?
“One street circuit is not like the other,” says the Aston Martin reserve driver. “Take Baku, for example: long straight stretches, high speeds, and incredibly tricky braking points. You need to have a lot of confidence in the car. I don’t always have fond memories there. For me, Singapore is even more challenging, the racing there is truly beautiful. Singapore is also intense, with a very long lap. Qualifying is even more important there because overtaking is much more difficult than in, for example, Baku.”
The Belgian continues: “However, I do think there are enough street circuits on the F1 calendar now. Madrid will be added in 2026, it’s good as it is. I know many street circuits from Formula E, but they are not suitable for Formula 1. The cars are too wide, too long, too big nowadays. They simply don’t fit through those tight corners.”
According to Vandoorne, this is also the added risk of racing on the street: you drive close to the walls, and a mistake is immediately punished. “It’s all about precision. It’s challenging for every driver, but there isn’t a specific type of driver suited for it. You would expect everyone who drives at this level to be able to handle a street circuit. And all these guys can.”
