Fast off the track – Formula One’s official logistics company
F1 teams are desperate to find every possible performance gain on their cars while the sport’s logistics partner DHL pursues the same goal, albeit off the race track.
DHL is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post DHL which is the world’s largest logistics company operating around the world, particularly in sea and air mail.
DHL Express was founded in 1969 with its headquarters in Bonn, Western Germany. Ken Allen is its Chairman of the company which has more than 350000 employees.
As Official Logistics Partner of Formula 1, DHL draws on over 35 years’ experience handling complex, time-critical, international motorsports logistics.
Sponsorship activities
For several years, DHL has been building up a wide variety of international connection as sponsor. Among others, the company has sponsored football clubs including FC Bayern Munich, Machester United Football Club, a chosen designer of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and Milan Fashion week.
DHL has been interested in motorsport, as well. It was the primary sponsor of the Porsche RS Spyder Le Mans Prototypes in the International Motor Sports Association American Le Mans Series. DHL also sponsors Ryan Hunter-Reay since 2011. With DHL, Hunter-Reay won the championship for the 2012 IndyCar Series season as well as the 2014 Indianapolis 500.
DHL were the main title sponsor of the Jordan Formula One team during 2002. Since then, DHL has become a regular track-side sponsor at various races throughout each year, as well as becoming the 'Official Logistics Partner' of the sport.
For DHL, speed matters the most. For the company, it is essential to transport the equipment from one venue to the other in a very short time frame because of the length of the 2018 championship season. In recognition of the importance of speed, the company launched two awards. Since 2007, they sponsor the DHL Fastest Lap Award for the driver that achieves the most fastest laps in a season.
The 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship covers 21 races, 5 continents in 9 months, putting huge pressure not only on the teams and drivers, but also on the logistics team. To each event, DHL transports thousands of litres of fuel and oil as well as essential event equipment and infrastructure. The Formula 1 freight travels by land, sea and air, filling no less than six Boeing 747 cargo planes for each so called “fly-away” race outside of Europe, where most of the teams are still based.
