Ferrari Head of Logistics explains challenges of F1’s ever-expanding calendar

Sergio Bondi, head of logistics department of Ferrari, spoke to the official channels of the Prancing Horse to delve into the subject of travels in a very busy calendar of events as Formula 1 has become. Below are his considerations ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.

The words of Sergio Bondi
As reported by the official Ferrari website, the Head of Logistics explained how the Maranello team organizes its movements during the Formula One season, illustrating the so-called “behind the scenes”. Here are the three questions and three answers published on the website of the Italian side.

How many kilometres do the team personnel travel during the season? And what kind of challenges does the Logistics department face while ensuring everything goes smoothly?
Sergio Bondi: “Approximately 230,000 kilometres over the year. The biggest challenge is to find the best possible travel routes and carriers which allow us to reduce the personnel’s exposure to the negative effects of travel, such as jet lag and stress. That means looking at a wide range of options such as charter flights or scheduled flights that best fit with the need for rest and the timetable at the track. In terms of hotels, the first priority is to be as close as possible to the track to limit travel time on the ground.”

Looking specifically at this weekend, how long do you start planning to manage a back-to-back pair of races such as this Baku-Miami one, that are a very long distance apart on different continents?
Sergio Bondi: “In these cases, one of the main aims is to transfer the whole group onward to the venue of the second race as quickly as possible, so that the team members have as much time as possible to gradually get used to being in a different time zone. Operationally, we try and give those team members who work on the race cars full-time during the weekend, a slightly easier schedule on the set-up days.”

Personally, what do you like most about your job with Scuderia Ferrari?
Sergio Bondi: “I’d say solving complex situations that can arise unexpectedly relating to the movement of people or freight. These can be tricky to deal with and securing a positive outcome is a great reward for all our efforts. And then, quite simply seeing that everything has gone to plan.”