Jenson Button thinks Stoffel Vandoorne will excel at McLaren if he can successfully cope with the pressure of his first full season in 2017.
Vandoorne has been elevated to a race seat next year after months of speculation, with Button stepping back to an ambassadorial/reserve role so he can have a year's break from F1. Button thinks Vandoorne has been perfectly prepared for the McLaren drive after being in a reserve role of his own for two seasons, one which included his F1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix earlier this year in place of Fernando Alonso.
"To be fair to Stoffel, he's achieved a lot in his career, but most drivers that get to drive a McLaren have done a very good job in their career before they get there," Button told Sky Sports. "He's had the best schooling if you like because he's been with the team since 2013. This year he's shadowed Fernando and myself. So he's been at every race, he's stood by us every time we've done engineering, debriefs.
"Everything apart from driving the car he's been there so he's learnt so much this year. He's in a perfect position, but it's still a difficult role to be a driver for McLaren, one of the biggest teams in the world with so much history."
Vandoorne's elevation will put him alongside two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, widely regarded as the most complete driver on the current grid. Button hopes Vandoorne rises to that challenges and lives up to the lofty expectations McLaren has for him.
"It's tough, and he's alongside Fernando Alonso. Hopefully for his sake he does a good job, and if he does he will have a long and exciting career with McLaren.But obviously if you don't perform in your first year, that has consequences as well so there's always pressure.
"The team is in a good position. They have two world champions, and they have Stoffel who is hungry to succeed in the team. The future is looking really good for McLaren-Honda."
A long and exciting career at McLaren for Vandoorne might well spell the end of Button's chances of returning after his year off. His new deal states he can drive in 2018 if McLaren wants him back, but that would only happen if the team did not retain either Vandoorne or Alonso for that campaign.