How do Formula 1 teams travel and transport goods to different countries?

Formula 1 is considered the pinnacle of motorsport with a global fan base that grows every year. Beyond the high-tech cars and ingenious racing strategies, the great thing about Formula 1 is the schedule that requires teams and drivers to travel around the world.

There are 22 races per season, and it requires the team to travel to 20 countries over the course of ten months. Not only do they have to send drivers to the location, they almost have to move their base, which can require tons of freight per team. This raises one question among fans: How do Formula 1 teams travel to different locations?

What ‘stuff’ do Formula 1 teams take with them to races?

To participate in the race, the most important thing a team needs to get to the race location is the car itself. Formula 1 competitors travel to each race location, and the team always carries spare parts with them. There is also a lot of mechanical and IT equipment required on a race weekend.

Aside from the car itself, Formula 1 teams also carry items such as motorhomes to many race locations. These mobile homes are the office and housing for employees and crew members who travel to the various racing locations. They also take a lot of furniture, such as tables and chairs, to the race sites. They even take cooking equipment with them to cook for the team.

How many cars do Formula 1 teams travel in?

A Formula 1 race cannot happen without a Formula 1 car, and there are two drivers in a Formula 1 team, so each team carries two cars. But many may wonder what teams will do if one of the cars breaks down. In the past, teams would travel with one or two spare cars to each race location, as reliability was a major issue at the time. However, this is no longer in practice.

So, Formula 1 teams now carry a lot of spare parts. There are replacement parts for every part of the F1 competitor. Even if the car is destroyed during a Friday or Saturday session, the Formula 1 team will have enough parts to build a new car. They also carry 40 sets of tyres, 2,500 liters of fuel, 200 liters of engine oil and 90 liters of coolant for their cars at each race.

Furthermore, the two main cars also do not travel as a complete unit. Formula 1 teams disassemble Formula 1 cars. They then pack parts such as the front and rear wings, gears and power units into a separate container and the entire chassis into another container. The Formula 1 teams then send them to the race sites. There are three ways a team can send their packages: land, air and water.

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Most races are held in Europe, and most Formula 1 teams are based there as well. So teams can easily send their equipment and vehicles across the ground to locations. But races outside Europe require teams to use planes or ships for transportation.

Do Formula 1 teams have their own planes?

The Formula 1 schedule also takes us to other continents, and these locations are called “flyaway” races. Formula 1 teams cannot rely on trucks to transport their cars and equipment to flying locations. Formula 1 teams then have to use planes and ships.

Therefore, many are wondering if this means teams might have flights to transport their cars. So, the answer is no because the teams don’t have flights. Instead, Formula 1 has a partnership with DHL to do this. DHL offers large cargo flights to transport team vehicles.

So, taking it to sprints is no easy task. Teams divide their payload into two halves: critical and non-critical. The vital cargo consists of cars, spare parts, fuel and IT accessories, which are transported by airway to the destination. Moreover, the cars are separated and packed in special containers for loading on flights.

Meanwhile, non-critical equipment consists of garage tools and hospitality equipment. These non-critical goods take the sea route to the locations. However, sending it via ship will be slower than by air. Therefore, teams send five shipments to flight sites in advance. When teams arrive at these locations to race, all non-critical equipment is already there.

Where do Formula 1 drivers stay over the weekend?

Formula 1 drivers have two accommodation options when they travel to different racing locations. They are either staying in hotels or in their team’s mobile homes. So, the mobile homes are unique and innovative and serve as a base and lounge for Formula 1 teams.

Even as a temporary setup, the mobile homes and team bases lack nothing. They have fully equipped kitchens and restaurants, rooftop seating areas, and most importantly, comfortable rooms for employees to rest during the race weekend.

These mobile homes are built by the teams only, so they carry all the necessary materials with them to create these mobile homes. Red Bull’s mobile home, the Red Bull Power Station, requires 25,000 kg of wood, 48,000 nails and 15,000 kg of glass. The Austrian Formula 1 team took a step forward for Monaco. Due to space constraints in the emirate, they built a mobile home on a floating barge.

These mobile homes require a lot of trucking for teams to carry these temporary bases. So, Formula 1 is trying to get rid of these motorhomes to reduce the carbon emissions of the trucks and mainly to reduce the logistical pressure. Formula 1 is looking at many ways to make it easier for teams to travel to different race locations.