The two drivers have had a friendly relationship this year, with Stroll telling the team he would not attack Alonso behind him during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while the Spaniard later relayed a brake balance message to help his team-mate.

Alonso has made it clear that he is helping Stroll because he believes he represents the long-term future of the team.

“We’ve talked a lot at the weekend since Thursday,” Alonso said when asked by Autosport about his relationship with Stroll. “The way we’ve felt here in the past, also in the strategy meeting, what are we going to do, what’s the plan for each car and so on.

“So if we feel during a race that there’s something in the car that we haven’t talked about, and there’s something new that could help another car, usually we communicate that to the team.

“I know I’m going to be in the sport for a few more years, but not many, and he’s going to be leading the team for the next 10 or 15 years. So I’m hoping that in the next few years I’ll be as good as possible. Help Lance Nian.”

Asked if he ever had such a relationship with a former teammate, he said: “Yes, I have in the past, but only some of my radios have been broadcast! But not this one. For whatever reason, now F1 against me.”

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR23, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR23

Photography: Andy Horn / motorsport pictures

Stroll said he was happy not to have raced Alonso in the early stages of the race in Baku.

“We’re all thinking about the long game, he’s got better speed,” he said. “In that sense, I don’t want to push him.

“I think the two of us managed it smartly at the start of the race. Then he took off and had really good speed on the hard roads and I struggled with my balance and didn’t really get into a happy place.

“I made that mistake at (turn) 16 when (Lewis) Hamilton caught me and then it felt a bit tricky towards the end of the race.”

On Alonso’s brake balance news, he said: “I’ve heard it now! Yes, he returned the favor! So, he’s fine. I was told to think about brake balance and change something. So now I know it’s from him.”

Aston Martin team principal Mike Clarke praised his drivers for working together so effectively.

“It was awesome to see it,” Clark said. “It shows the maturity of Lance and Fernando, the way they work together, the way they get along with each other.

“They have clearly understood that our opponent is not relatives with green cars, but other people.

“I think if we can manage to maintain this harmony between the two, pushing each other forward while helping each other where it matters, it will only benefit us in the long run.”

Asked if Alonso was acting like a big brother, he added: “Lance is not a little brother, they are at eye level.

“You had a lot of times with Fernando looking at what Lance was doing and vice versa, so I thought they were the right teammates, not big brother and little brother. You could maybe say older and younger.”