How does the logistics of Formula 1 work?

Have you ever wondered how they manage to move everything related to a Formula 1 Grand Prix from one side of the world to the other every two weeks, and sometimes every week? The logistics behind the motorsport world is one of the most fascinating aspects of this sport. In fact, if you think F1 is a boring sport with no twists and turns, logistics is the exact opposite.

How formula 1 racecars move

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Every weekend when a race takes place around the world, the twenty drivers first get into their cars on Friday morning for the first free practice session before qualifying and the race. However, the work of the teams and logistics starts well in advance of the 24-race calendar scheduled for 2025. More precisely, months ahead. The organization begins about three months before the first weekend of the World Championship, which this year took place in Melbourne, Australia, on March 16. Let’s start with the first fundamental point: the 24 races are divided into two main groups, those in Europe and the so-called Flyaway races, which require the use of planes and ships to transport the materials that will make up the paddocks, garages, motorhomes, and, of course, the cars. European races require less organization and lower costs, as all the teams are based in Europe, including the American Haas team, which has offices in both England and Italy, being powered by Ferrari. Each team uses trucks to transport materials by land within Europe, while for the Flyaway races, planes and ships are used to transport materials, naturally with different timelines. This is why the race organization begins months in advance.

The Partnership Between DHL and Formula 1

Formula 1 has had DHL as its logistics partner for two decades, with a team of one hundred people dedicated to transporting over 1400 tons of materials from one race to the next. While the five thousand pieces that make up the cars are shipped from one race to the next following the chronological order of the F1 calendar, the logistics concerning all the materials around the box and hospitality areas follow a calendar based on the geography of the Flyaway races. In January, three months before the opening race, each team sends five sets of containers by ship, scattered around the world, which include the less expensive and less fragile items, such as materials for the hospitality areas, offices, and restaurants. Once they reach their destination and are used, they will then be shipped to other flyaway races according to a precise schedule. The containers with materials used in Australia, for example, have already been shipped to Miami for the Grand Prix on the first weekend of May.

Assembling Car Components

The situation is quite different when it comes to car components, which are assembled and disassembled within a few hours, to then be shipped back to their respective factories between races. The organization, already complicated, is disrupted when two Flyaway races take place within a week, as happened this year between Australia and China. In such cases, right after the post-race inspection, the cars are disassembled and shipped with the first cargo plane on Monday morning to the new circuit, to be reassembled between Wednesday and Thursday once all teams have received the necessary car components. Regarding costs, F1 takes care of the charters, while the teams pay for the space they occupy. The movement of mechanics and other staff usually happens on the Monday after the race, and once they arrive at the destination, they begin working on the main components of the paddock and the garages, starting with the electrical components. It has been calculated that, in the case of two consecutive races, the mechanics and teams are able to disassemble and reassemble everything in 58 hours.

Details Shared by RedBull

RedBull has shared some very interesting details about logistics. For example, the Austrian team uses 44 containers and four trucks, which are scientifically divided for every key aspect of the racing department: car components, garages, hospitality areas. For European races in particular, RedBull takes care of everything related to the cars with three dedicated trucks, while DHL is responsible for the garage and hospitality components. The trucks always have two drivers each, so they can alternate without stopping, maximizing the time and arriving at destinations on the Saturday before the race weekend. All the logistics described have a significant environmental impact, although F1 is working towards the very ambitious goal of zero emissions by 2030, considering the 127,000 kilometers of total air distance that need to be covered for all the transfers. DHL in 2024 doubled the number of biofuel-powered trucks used in the collaboration, achieving an 83% reduction in CO2 emissions per truck. The road is still long, given the other major goal of zero net emissions linked to logistics by 2050.