Logistics in Formula 1When a Formula One team like Toyota Racing has to move around from one destination to the next, with all its equipement neatly tucked aboard its four trucks, that represents mostly the logistical groundwork for what comes afterwards.
The perfectly
formed garage interiors, with computer stands for telemetry, neat tool boxes and all the equipment necessary to go Formula 1 racing take around eight hours to build and vary in size from 120 to 180 square metres.
This is crucial work as any problems in the infrastructure of the pits could have serious consequences when the action begins on track.
As part of this, all the spare parts are set up ready to be called upon at a moment's notice. This is not just for a spare tyre and a few replacement light bulbs as you would find in most motorists' garages: in a Formula 1 garage there is literally a car waiting to be built.
Team Manager Richard Cregan reveals: "You normally have enough parts in the truck to build another car. So effectively you have four complete cars, one in spare parts and three complete. That's more difficult at the beginning of the season because you have a new car and new specification but that’s the target we have."
Of course, not every eventuality can be prepared for – sometimes more spares than expected are required or parts go missing en route.
But every part has its own unique serial number so replacements can be rushed from the factory to the track with no time lost.
For Richard Cregan, the challenge of Formula 1 logistics is not in making the car itself perform to its best, but ensuring the Toyota Racing team behind the car are given everything they need to work to the maximum of their ability.
"We can't influence so much the performance of the car from the logistics department itself but certainly in terms of creating the atmosphere for people to do there job and perform, that is something we can do," he says.
"Quite often you have very, very long days, people working late into the evening. It is very important to make sure those people have the right environment to work in and that's our challenge," Richard explained.
Challenge is the right word, for nothing in Formula 1 is easy – least of all coordinating a whistle stop world tour with the most advanced racing cars on earth.
Source Toyota
