The Logistics behind F1
How Formula 1 teams transport their cars, tools and parts across the globe.
The mention of Formula One- the world’s premiere Motorsports series, conjures up an image of high speeds, extremely efficient crews and the glamour of podium finishes. However, behind the scenes, is a herculean amount of logistics efforts that constitute the backbone of the sport.
The logistics of transporting the equipment of 10 teams to 20 races across 5 continents in a season of 9 months requires extreme fidelity and precision.
Teams use a combination of three modes of transport- roadways, airways & waterways to transport their cars, equipment and personnel. As all teams are currently based in Europe, transportation for European races is usually done by road. Liveried articulated lorries are used to transport the cars, equipment and tools to the race locations.
For road transportation, the cars are boxed up and transported with all their aero packaging removed. The cars are placed on an elevated platform inside the truck, and cushioned in order to prevent any movement or damage. All the equipment required for the race weekend — cars, spare parts and tools are loaded into the trucks. Tires, fuel & other equipment is transported separately by local partners and technical contractors.
For international, or “flyaway” races, the logistics challenge gets trickier. The parts to be transported are grouped into 2 types- critical & non-critical. Critical parts include chassis, tires, engines, wings, computers and IT racks. Noncritical parts includes components in the garage like jacks, tools, etc.
Non critical parts are maintained in 5 sets to be shipped between two global race locations. One set is dispatched to each of the first four flyaway races, three of which return to the Team HQ. The set from Malaysia goes straight on to Canada. The Singapore Grand Prix kit goes on to Brazil and the Japanese Grand Prix kit goes to Abu Dhabi. Russia, Austria and Canada each get their own sets directly from the HQ. These sets are usually transported via sea. Despite the mode of transport being slower, having multiple sets ensures that the teams can ship them well in advance, to receive them on time.
The cars are stripped down to their last components before they can be transported. The engine & gearbox, along with the front and rear wings, mirrors and suspension parts are removed. Each of these parts is packed in its own foam slotted box. Some teams go the extra mile and use bubble wrap as a precautionary measure. The chassis are packed in their own custom made covers.
Currently, most team use cargo planes, chartered by Formula One Management (FOM), in partnership with DHL ( the official logistics partner for F1). Considering that all the teams are based in Europe, these planes fly out of Munich & London to wherever the race is being held. Back-to-back flyaway races involve direct transit between two races. This means that additional equipment has to be packed to ensure smooth operations.
As mentioned in this article by Wired-
Each team carries enough spare parts to rebuild their cars, 40 sets of tires, 2,500 liters of fuel, 200 liters of motor oil and 90 liters of coolant. And then there are the tools. And the computers. And enough food to make as many as 200 meals, plus all the stuff needed to prepare those meals. All told, the biggest teams may be hauling as much as 50 tons of gear, and even the smallest outfits are schlepping 30 tons of stuff.
As the popularity of the sport increases globally, the logistical efforts needed to transport the teams & their equipment also expands proportionally. Hence, it’s evident that the logistics teams manning the fort, are truly the unsung heroes of the sport.
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