Formula 1®

DHL gears up for new standards of speed in the 2017 FIA Formula 1 World Championship™

Key Takeaways

  • DHL handles the overseas moves of up to 2,000 tons of precious cargo per race
  • DHL Fastest Lap Award enters its 11th season
  • 2017 will see the introduction of a new points system for the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award

As Official Logistics Partner of Formula 1, DHL was involved in delivering approx. 2,000 tons of equipment to Melbourne ahead of the 2017 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix.

DHL, the world’s leading logistics company, is looking to drive new records for speed both on and off the Formula 1 track in one of the most highly anticipated seasons for many years. The company will once again be working closely with Formula One Management to ensure that the behind-the-scenes race operation runs smoothly and that all the cars and equipment are delivered seamlessly to every one of the 20 race venues. At the same time, DHL will also continue to reward the drivers and crews that deliver the highest levels of performance and speed at the racetrack with the DHL Fastest Lap and DHL Fastest Pit Stop Awards.

Official Logistics Partner

With the 2017 Formula One World Championship about to begin in Australia, March is always an exciting time for Formula 1 fans all over the world. As Official Logistics Partner of Formula 1, DHL is also gearing up with excitement for the new season. Drawing on over 35 years’ experience in handling complex, time-critical international motorsport logistics, the DHL team of motorsports experts has been working throughout the off-season, in collaboration with Formula One Management, to plan and prepare for a variety of complex logistics requirements for the series. The team handles the overseas moves of up to 2,000 tons of precious cargo per race via sea and air freight, which includes the new cars, engines, fuel and oil, tires, spare parts and the media and broadcast equipment.

DHL Fastest Lap Award

Whether it’s on the track itself or on the journey from one race to the next, speed and precision are crucial for flawless delivery. While the overall winner of the race might have completed the course in the least amount of time, the DHL Fastest Lap Award works a little differently: the award goes to the driver who accumulates the highest number of fastest laps consistently throughout the World Championship.

As it enters its 11th season, 2017 promises to be one of the most exciting yet for the DHL Fastest Lap Award. With the introduction of bold, new regulations and wider, more durable tires, the award will see a new level of speed as a result of the drivers being able to push their tires to the limit over longer periods, and to deliver even faster lap times. The top three drivers on the list of DHL Fastest Lap winners of the past 10 years are three former World Champions who will be battling it out for glory this season – with Sebastian Vettel leading the way with three DHL Fastest Lap Award victories, closely followed by Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen, each with two.

DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award

The DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award was established in 2015 to recognize outstanding teamwork and performance from the behind-the-scenes team that makes a critically important contribution to the drivers’ success on the track. Speed, teamwork and efficiency are attributes that DHL values in its own operations, and the Formula 1 pit lane on race day offers an unparalleled insight into the role that these attributes play in driving success.

2017 will see the introduction of a new points system for the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award, creating even more competition between teams both on the track and in the pits. Teams will not only be rewarded for the pit stop times, but the consistency at which they are able to achieve this; an achievement made all the more challenging by the introduction of wider, heavier tires!

Mirroring the points system used for the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships, each team and driver will be ranked based on their fastest pit stop each race, with the top 10 fastest pit stops receiving points ranging from 25 points for the fastest time down to one point for the tenth fastest time. The overall winner will be determined by which team has accumulated the highest number of points over the course of the season.

The 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship will see 20 of the world’s best drivers delivering excellent performance over 20 races, on five continents in just nine months. This demanding calendar brings with it an equally exciting ‘race behind the race’ of planning, dedication and know-how for the experienced global motorsport logistics team at DHL.

With all the cars and equipment having been safely delivered to Melbourne over the past few days, it is now over to the race organizers and teams to deliver a spectacular show to the millions of race fans around the world. However, the work for the DHL team and everyone else involved in supporting Formula 1 will go on behind-the-scenes, as the ‘race behind the race’ shifts into gear once again for the next Grand Prix in China.

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