Alan McNish: Never say never!

      Alan McNish has raced in numerous competitions, achieving success in various series and winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times, but he made his debut as the racing director of a Formula 1 team last weekend in Miami – and admitted that he was a bit nervous…

      Alan McNish: “You know, this isn’t my first time at a racetrack; I’ve had various experiences in my career, but this time I was nervous – I’ve never had this kind of experience before.

      In addition to what was happening on the track, I had many other responsibilities. It was about many areas, not just operational tasks, but in the end, everything went well.

      How are the responsibilities divided? Mattia Binotto is the team principal. He is the managing director, and I am the racing director. I am responsible for everything we do in terms of racing. Additionally, I oversee the youth program that we launched at the beginning of the year.

      Mattia supports me in everything, but he does not take direct part in my tasks. I had to learn some things on the go, so the past phase taught me a lot. I understood how different areas are interconnected; now I have a clearer picture on which we can build further work and develop.

      As I was finishing my racing career, I said that I would never lead a team and engage in such activities, because in that case, I would have to deal with drivers like myself. And I knew how difficult that was. But life changes everything. So the rule is: never say never.”