Mercedes-EQ driver Vandoorne sets sights on Formula E world title

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship leader Stoffel Vandoorne is unfazed by the prospect of racing on a new track circuit in Seoul in his bid to clinch his first title in this weekend’s double-header season finale rounds.

The Mercedes-EQ driver goes into the Seoul E-Prix with a 36-point lead at the top of the Driver standings following an impressive campaign of several podiums and consistent points scoring.

With South Korea hosting the first Formula E race, the drivers will be experiencing the track for the first time on Saturday, but Vandoorne is feeling positive about performing well in the Far East.

The 30-year-old said: “With a new track there are a lot of unknowns for everybody and nobody really knows what it's going to be like exactly, even though everyone has been practicing on the simulators. It brings a level of randomness, but as a team, we usually do quite well when we go to venues. We prepare well and we manage to read the situations a little bit better than others. Overall, I’m feeling confident and positive about going to Seoul.”

Although he sits on top of the standings, Vandoorne has only registered one victory this season, triumphing at the Monaco E-Prix in April, but has shown remarkable consistency in picking up regular points throughout the season.

He insists that being able to adapt quickly and recover strongly are among the reasons why he is able to secure many points.

“I’ve been very consistent this year and I definitely had some bad days, but I feel I have managed to recover pretty well in races,” he said. “Even when qualifying hasn't gone well in general, I've been able to recover from a situation fairly well, and that's been key to my success.”

With Mercedes set to withdraw from Formula E after this weekend’s races, Vandoorne is hoping to end their chapter on a high note by securing the team’s championship for the second consecutive season.

He said: “It would be great to pull it off two years in a row. Hopefully we can finish in style in Seoul. As it's the last race for Mercedes, it would be a beautiful ending to that story. I said at the start of the year that I would want to give them a good leaving party so hopefully we will be able to do that.”

When asked about how he will approach the final two races, he said: “I’ve been having a very good run, consistently scoring points. As it's the last round of the season, I now have to conclude it.

“This may sound easier than it actually is as there is still tough competition and some strong drivers racing, so I still have to do my job on the track. I’ll be going with the same approach that I’ve had since the start of the year, and taking it race by race,” he added.