Pole position in logistics: Rolf Lucht on Ferrari and Formula 1

What does the logistical planning for your Formula 1 transports look like when a racing team has to travel with its vehicles and materials from one continent to another within a few days?

Rolf Lucht: For Ferrari, we transport the team's equipment, i.e. everything that is needed for a race. This includes accessories for the pit booths (stands at the pit walls), but also the huge motorhomes that are set up at the race track and serve as mobile offices, retreats for the drivers, restaurants and meeting rooms for the teams during the races. This is where the crew eats, where press conferences and strategic meetings take place, and where guests and sponsors are received. And we transport all of this almost exclusively by sea freight. DHL transports the Formula 1 cars, with one exception: if we have several races in Europe, we use CEVA trucks to transport all the equipment, including the cars, from one race track to another. The same applies to the USA. If the US Grand Prix in Dallas coincides with the Mexican Grand Prix in Mexico City, then everything is also transported by truck.

Was there a race for which the logistics were particularly challenging – and how did you and your team master them?

Rolf Lucht: The most challenging so far has actually been rail freight for Ferrari on the American continent. That was in 2023, when we transported all the Ferrari equipment by train from Montreal to Dallas and from there by truck to Austin for the Grand Prix. After that, it went by train from Dallas to Los Angeles and by truck to Las Vegas. The USA is well known for its excellent rail network. We at CEVA, as well as Formula 1 and Ferrari, are committed to transporting goods as sustainably as possible. So we chose to use trains for most of the route! That worked wonderfully, but getting there was a long and somewhat rocky road. That's because rail transport there is subject to completely different rules, different equipment, different speeds and different times. Basically, we had to completely rethink everything. It was also interesting to learn that Formula 1 equipment is not given top priority for transport in the USA. It can happen that another customer is more important, e.g. a cement manufacturer who is urgently waiting for his materials is given priority. That caused us a few beads of sweat on our foreheads, because of course an incredible amount depends on the equipment for a race weekend like this. At the end of the day, however, everything worked out well.

What criteria do you use to decide whether to transport the racing cars and equipment by sea or air freight or by other means?

Rolf Lucht: The top priority is always feasibility, of course. Formula 1 logistics is no different from transporting shoes or steel. The second point is adherence to the relevant timelines, i.e. how much buffer do I need to factor in and can I even afford it? Then we come to the question: which mode of transport do we use? As a subsidiary of the world's third-largest shipping company, we mainly handle sea freight – including for Ferrari. This is a completely different approach to air freight. You have to plan much further ahead. But of course, we are networked across all modes of transport. After all, there are always times when there is no other option and you have to switch to a different mode of transport, e.g. when the Suez Canal was suddenly closed. Then you have to continue transporting by plane, truck or train.

What role does sustainability play in the selection of modes of transport for Formula 1 logistics?

Rolf Lucht: When we transport goods by truck, for example, we consider whether to use a purely combustion engine or an electric truck. Since the actual weight of a Ferrari container is no heavier than normal freight, this is definitely something to consider. Unfortunately, electric trucks are not yet available everywhere. This may not be a problem in Germany, the Netherlands or Belgium, but it is more difficult in the rest of Europe. In these cases, we fall back on the service providers with whom we have a long-standing and successful working relationship. And if these experienced service providers also offer electric trucks, so much the better! But to be honest, sustainability still usually takes a back seat to feasibility and scheduling.

What special security measures does CEVA Logistics take to ensure that the Ferrari equipment arrives at the track undamaged and on time?

Rolf Lucht: The first thing you need to know is that general security for sea freight is more extensive in some places than for air freight. Just try walking into the container port in Hamburg! The security measures there are even tighter than at the airport. The second thing is that the containers are secured against access by sealing them and securing them with heavy steel locks. The third thing is that we install so-called data loggers in the containers. These loggers immediately register when the container is opened and light enters. Then they trigger and we receive a signal. The same applies to sudden temperature changes, if a container falls into the water, or similar. This rarely happens, but it does happen. What you can do about it is book special places for the containers, e.g. at the bottom of the cargo hold, in the belly of the ship, where the containers are better protected from access and cannot fall down. Then you simply feel better about it. Piracy is also a huge issue for international shipping, e.g. in the Gulf of Aden or in Southeast Asia. On these routes, an average of 20% more ships were attacked in 2024 than in the previous year. Our ships are therefore equipped with water cannons, among other things, to protect themselves from attacks in an emergency. We usually have a maximum delay of one to two hours on the shipment or container so that we can react quickly if necessary. Because the material is simply too important for that – especially at Ferrari.