F1 News: Red Bull Director Reveals How They Mastered Loopholes In The Rules- "The Way I Do My Job Is Insane"

Imagine thinking through every scenario in Grand Prix racing and then creating an action plan for it.

Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley has mastered the rulebook so well that he can think through almost every scenario in his head, and then create a plan to ensure the team's readiness in case the event materializes. This kind of out-of-the-box thinking and strategizing has helped the team in several instances, one being the Japanese Grand Prix this year.

Being so good with the rulebook has made him the liaison between Red Bull and the FIA. He also overlooks the training and development of the team's pit crew personnel. The upside of having one of the sport's longest-serving sporting directors since 2006 lies in the acquired knowledge of the rules, enabling the team to exploit loopholes while adhering to regulations.

Wheatley acknowledged that contemplating numerous scenarios throughout his tenure with the team has facilitated thorough preparation, which has ensured the best possible response when an event unfolds during a Grand Prix.

An "Insane" Job

At that moment, he is not only capable of handling an event in the best possible manner but, he is also able to look at a "few hidden gems" in any given situation that could work to the team's advantage. Opening up on his 'technique' of excellence on Red Bull’s podcast, Wheatley explained:

“I’ve been doing it for a long time.

“The way I do my job is insane in a lot of ways because I think through every single scenario that I think could happen and I look at the rules and I look at how the team might react and I try to come up with an idea.

“So I look like I’m completely in control in the time. I’ve put hours of thought into it and if I’ve done my job well, I think I’m very well prepared going into that event. Sometimes there’s a few hidden gems in there, which people have forgotten about.

“I’ve been lucky sometimes that confidence has carried me through where maybe the rules are a little bit vague.”

Wheatley added that the confidence gained over the years has helped him and his crew to pull off double stacks on several instances in the last few years. He added:

“It depends on the gap but for us, that’s a manifestation of team performance.

“When we’ve done that, we’ve done that a couple of times over the last few years, with confidence and you can see the confidence in the crew.

“It’s that moment, you’ve got to shine and people just rise to the occasion and that is a fantastic moment when you execute a double stack well with a small gap between cars. If you’re in the pit crew, that’s one of the ultimate experiences.”

Quite naturally, with so many variables playing a role in pit operations, mistakes are bound to happen, and Wheatley isn't hiding any of them. He continued:

“We’ve had radio failures.

“So the car arrives in the pits and you didn’t know that was going to happen.

“We’ve had communication issues where the wrong set of tyres was brought out to the car and then taken back again.

“Obviously, we try to learn from all of those mistakes and they’ve been painful and we’ve put procedures and people in place to try to add software and all sorts of things to try to get around.

“But you’re a hair’s breadth away.”

The Loophole Advantage From Japan

One example where Wheatley's strategy came in handy was during the Japanese Grand Prix when Sergio Perez retired from the race after making contact. The mistake had earned him a five-second penalty but, if that was to carry forward to the next race, it would then convert into a grid drop penalty.

In order to avoid the grid drop charge, the team made use of the loophole in the rules by sending Perez back onto the track to serve the five-second penalty. Though the team's action was questionable, it was done as per the rule book, courtesy of Wheatley's experience and quick thinking.