After dominating GP2 in 2015, McLaren protege Vandoorne spent the 2016 season racing in Super Formula in order to stay race-fit ahead of his full-time Formula 1 debut with the Woking-based team next season.

The Belgian enjoyed a highly successful campaign in Japan with the Docomo Dandelion team, finishing as the top Honda-powered driver in the standings (and fourth overall), and winning races at TI Aida and Suzuka.

This year's GP2 champion Pierre Gasly is poised to make a similar move to Vandoorne, with Red Bull having reached a deal with Honda to place the Frenchman in Super Formula next year with Nakajima Racing.

But Michel doesn't believe GP2 drivers have anything to gain by racing in the Japanese championship, dismissing its credentials as a "holding pen" for future Grand Prix stars.

"I don't think Stoffel learned a lot by being in Japan, to be honest," Michel told Motorsport.com.

"But it's always good for the boys, because sitting with their right foot in the air all weekend long and see other guys going around in their cars is probably very frustrating.

"So they can have a programme like this. They don't learn. You know, Stoffel was ready [to race in F1], we all knew that. But he had to wait one year."

No direct F1 graduates no concern

Michel also insisted he isn't worried if GP2 champions are forced to wait a year to make it to the F1 grid, as long as they make it eventually.

"It is always better when we get our [champion] driver to the [F1] grid," he continued. "Now you look at what happened to Stoffel. You look at what happened to Jolyon [Palmer].

"They did not get on the grid the following season, but they got on the grid eventually, and that's the most important thing for me.

"Pierre will not go to Toro Rosso [in 2017], but the guy is ready for F1. I'm sure Pierre will get to F1 at some point, but it is not happening next year. And for [runner-up] Antonio [Giovinazzi] it's the same.

"It would be better to see automatically guys going [to F1], but its not always like that. It's been the case, but it's not always like this."