The Silverstone-based squad knew it would be more in the spotlight throughout 2023 following the signing of two-time F1 world champion Alonso to race alongside Stroll.
While it was well aware of the potential for difficulties with Alonso being so demanding of the teams he races for, the squad had no doubts about the way it needed to manage things.
Team principal Mike Krack explained that, ahead of Alonso’s arrival, there had been a lot of internal discussions about how best to deal with the new situation the team found itself in. But he said in the end the approach it needed was pretty straightforward.
Speaking exclusively to Autosport about the team’s mindset of handling the drivers, Krack said: “We have a particular situation, obviously, because one of the drivers is the son of the owner and the other is an experienced mature driver. So, you need to think: what are the dynamics and how are they going to be evolving?
“When Fernando joined us, many people were warning us he can be difficult, so we tried to prepare ourselves. We had to think, what is our approach – and this was not only me, it was the sporting director, and performance director – and how are we going to manage the media?
“But we needed to be aware that both Fernando and Lance had known each other forever – already from the Ferrari times. So when it started, we took the approach that we have to be open, honest and transparent with both at all times.”
Source: Autosport