F1 2017: 5 talking points from the rivetting Malaysian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen with the trophy
Max Verstappen with the trophy

#4 Back-to-back strong finishes for Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren

Stoffel Vandoorne
Stoffel Vandoorne

Over the last few races, McLaren Honda has been able to up their game and play a huge role in the middle pack of the grid. Although they were helped by the first corner crash in Singapore, Stoffel Vandoorne's performance in Malaysia proves the result a couple of weeks back wasn't just a flash in the pan.

Race pace and simply finishing races is something the team was struggling to accomplish early in the season, however, they seemed to have turned that around in past few races. If Fernando Alonso didn't have to be cautious to avoid traffic at the first corner, he also could have finished in the points.

Vandoorne has gone from not scoring a point in the first ten races of the season, he has scored 13 in the last five races. Add to that the incentive Honda will have to perform well at their home Grand Prix, we could expect another strong points finish from Vandoorne at Suzuka.

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