Belgian F1 driver Vandoorne to leave McLaren after 2018

Monza (Italy) : Belgian Formula One driver Stoffel Vandoorne is to leave McLaren at the end of the year, the British racing team announced on Monday.

Vandoorne was currently teammates with Spanish driver Fernando Alonso. Vandoorne is currently ranked 16 in the F1 championship standings, reports Efe.

"We're immensely thankful for Stoffel's dedication, hard work and commitment during his time at McLaren," said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown in a statement.

"He's a talented racing driver with an incredible list of accolades in his junior career. We're proud to have played a part in his break into Formula 1, from his role as Test Driver to his fantastic points-scoring debut in Bahrain in 2016," he added.

The Belgian racer said: "I'm very grateful to McLaren for investing their faith in me over the past five years. While we haven't achieved the success we'd all hoped for, I've really enjoyed the past two seasons racing for McLaren and I have a great relationship with everyone in the team."