The Silverstone-based squad last week announced a new long-term deal with Alonso that will carry their partnership into the new rules era in F1 from 2026.
But despite the contract talks being straightforward between both parties once they began, team principal Mike Krack has revealed to some private concerns that F1’s ever-expanding schedule and demands could have been a factor in triggering Alonso to choose not to stay on racing.
Asked in China if he was always convinced that Alonso could want to stay racing in F1, Krack said: “No, I was not convinced.
“Fernando was very clear when he joined that the calendar and the travel is draining a lot of energy, especially if you want to do things the way he does them.
“There is no 99%. And that is why, with the calendar like it is, it takes everything out of you. And I think he has said it many times: that there is no life. Either you are 100% in it or not.
“So when you see how he is working, when he's there [in the garage], how he is interacting, you see that there is only 100% for him. And you understand also that when he says there is no life around that, it is true.
“So considering that I had some concerns that he was going to say: ‘no, I want to do something else in life’, I was very happy to see that he loves F1 more than private life.”
Source: Autosport