Red Bull Racing: The season from the pit wall

Red Bull Racing team manager Jonathan Wheatley has seen the Abu Dhabi circuit emerge from the desert this year as well as our team emerging from the field age into title contenders in 2009. We asked him what he thought of this new circuit and also to review this incredible season.

What are your first impressions of this new Abu Dhabi track?
JW: “I came here for the first time after the race in Bahrain and this area was a large construction site at the time and the only stretch of asphalt at the time was the straight. The buildings had yet to rise from the ground and the hotel we now reside in was still only at foundation level. What they have accomplished here is simply incredible. I came here, the second time, just three days ago and it was all over, in the best way I've ever seen. There's more atmosphere here than at most tracks I've ever been to. It's an exceptional success."

Does this race represent a unique challenge for your team?
JW: “We had to do more preparation than any other circuit and there are unique characteristics. In the office, we have to put a protective film on the laptop screens to prevent sensitive data from being seen from the outside, but apart from that there hasn't been much else to do. The circuit has provided us with everything we need."

And what about the actual track?
JW: “Each track has its own characteristics. The great challenge and unknown here is represented by the fact that we have never raced there before. I walked a couple of laps of the track, but didn't see anyone driving on it, even though I looked at as many pictures as possible on YouTube. Racing anywhere in an F1 is a challenge in itself. I think it will be here too."

At the beginning of the season, did you expect to have such success this year?
JW: “I'm always optimistic and I always hope that it will be a positive season like it actually was this year. We had a fairly difficult winter, with tough moments due to the staff redundancies that we had to define to make the company more competitive. We had to build on a relatively young team, a new team, trying to consolidate the various strengths, to make everyone work well together... For me, achieving all this was one of the greatest successes of my career. Did we think we could be this competitive? We always hoped to be, even if this year Brawn was really very fast, thanks also to a speaker that we initially thought was illegal. We haven't actually used a double diffuser in competition before the Monaco GP. We honestly didn't expect such a level of success and China represented a moment of great happiness."

Was the Shanghai race the brightest moment of your season?

JW: “The Chinese GP was a great moment. Silverstone was absolutely incredible: winning and also finishing second, taking a double in my home race... I've been in this world for 18 years, and it had never happened to me before. For me, however, the highlight of the season was the opportunity I had to get on the podium, with Mark, at the Nürburgring. It was Mark's first victory, and for me to be on the podium, proud to represent our young team, receiving the manufacturer's trophy... I think it was the best moment of my motorsport career."

What are your hopes for this weekend?
JW: “It will definitely be a tough race! We face a track that, on paper, seems to favor McLaren. However, based on what we have already managed to show in Singapore, we should be competitive here. However, it will be a very demanding race."