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Formula 1 is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2030, but its logistics partner, DHL, emphasizes that operational realities are defining this ambitious journey. During a recent visit to Silverstone, the company elaborated on why battery-electric trucks are not yet the viable solution for one of the world's most demanding logistics operations.
While Formula 1 is often celebrated as the pinnacle of motorsport technology, a recent sweltering July day at the Silverstone Grand Prix saw discussions inside DHL's trackside trailer focusing less on horsepower and more on the intricate world of logistics.
Journalists gathered on the upper deck to hear from the individuals responsible for orchestrating the global movement of the championship. Christian Polhammer, F1 operations manager, and Simon Price, DHL motorsport event logistics manager, led the insightful discussion.
Their conversation centered on aspects far less glamorous than the racing itself, yet arguably just as crucial: freight movements, customs procedures, alternative fuels, and meticulous contingency planning—all vital elements that keep F1 on schedule.
'The biggest challenge for electric is purely charging,' explained Price. 'Under the perfect circumstances, you can do 600 kilometres. But you don’t have the perfect circumstances. Coming from Austria, for example, or going to Canada, you could be waiting eight hours to recharge. We just don’t have that time.' This explanation resonates with many commercial fleet operators; while electrification is advancing rapidly, the optimal solution depends entirely on the vehicle's specific job. For DHL's F1 operations, the demands are particularly unforgiving.
'There are commercial deadlines, and there are motorsport deadlines,' Price stated. 'Motorsport deadlines are not moveable. In normal logistics, if you can’t deliver on a Friday, we’ll deliver it on Monday. It’s annoying, it’s upsetting, but you have that option. We don’t have that option.' This stark observation perhaps best illustrates DHL's approach to decarbonization: instead of pursuing electrification purely for its own sake, the company adopts technologies that effectively reduce emissions without compromising the paramount need for reliability.
Throughout the European season, approximately 400 trucks transport the championship between circuits, with DHL managing about 124 of these vehicles. 'All of our vehicles that we use in Europe are running on HVO,' confirmed Price. For many operators, Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is emerging as a vital bridge between conventional diesel and full electrification. It delivers immediate carbon savings without requiring fundamental changes to fleet operations. This also highlights a broader truth extending beyond motorsport: the fastest route to lower emissions isn't always the most obvious one. Sometimes, it involves maximizing environmental benefits from existing vehicles while battery-electric truck technology, charging infrastructure, and vehicle range continue to mature.
'When we started this journey, the technology for electric trucking wasn’t there,' Price recalled. 'But technology has moved on in leaps and bounds. We are looking at electrifying our structures, but we need to make sure that when we deliver it, we deliver it right.' This mirrors a fascinating parallel with F1 cars themselves, which are not fully electric but combine advanced sustainable fuels with sophisticated hybrid technology. DHL applies the same philosophy to its truck fleet: embracing electrification where it's effective, utilizing lower-carbon fuels like HVO for immediate gains, and never jeopardizing the ability to deliver the job.
Currently, HVO performs much of the heavy lifting for road transport, complemented by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for air freight. Battery-electric trucks are under evaluation for future widespread deployment. While the general direction towards sustainability is clear, DHL insists that any new technology must meet F1's stringent operational demands before replacing the current fleet.
The true scale of the operation becomes evident when looking beyond just the trucks. An F1 weekend appears to center on three days of racing, but the logistics begin weeks prior. Polhammer explained, 'The first group normally arrive about 11 days before the race. The set-up starts around minus 14.' By the time the final race lights go out on Sunday, the logistics team is already focused on the next destination. Immediately post-race, the entire process reverses: garages are dismantled, hospitality units packed, broadcast equipment disconnected, and hundreds of tonnes of freight prepared for the next leg of the championship's global tour.
The discussion revealed that F1 logistics transcends mere freight movement. Every Grand Prix necessitates the construction of a temporary city—requiring power, connectivity, supplies, global broadcasting capabilities, and subsequent dismantling, all within days. Road haulage, air and sea cargo, customs compliance, temporary power generation, regional warehousing, and detailed contingency planning must all mesh seamlessly. For the teams, this involves maintaining multiple sets of equipment simultaneously.
'In Europe, there is a majority of one set,' Polhammer detailed. 'Some teams have two garage sets.' He added, 'We have one main set of air freight that travels predominantly on the aircraft from race to race. Each team will have six sea freight sets. They are always somewhere in the world, in transit between races.' This system has become even more sophisticated as sustainability targets have intensified, with F1 increasingly regionalizing its freight rather than unnecessarily shipping the same equipment back and forth.
'In the USA, we would have kit that goes out from Miami,' Polhammer illustrated. 'It will stay in Miami all the way through until we pick it up for Las Vegas.' Despite meticulous planning, no global supply chain is immune to disruption. The true measure of a logistics operation isn't its performance when everything runs smoothly, but its agility in response to unexpected challenges.
One of DHL's most significant tests arose when shipping delays threatened to disrupt the Australian Grand Prix. The resolution underscored why F1 logistics differs markedly from conventional freight operations. 'The power of the network is what made it possible,' Price recounted. 'We had to pull the sea freight off in Singapore. We had to decant it from the containers, because air freight packaging is completely different to sea freight packaging.' The cargo was then swiftly unpacked, repacked for air transport, and loaded onto aircraft bound for Melbourne. This was precisely the kind of emergency intervention every logistics manager hopes to avoid, yet it powerfully demonstrated the value of having aircraft, freight capabilities, and operational decision-making consolidated under one roof.
'It was a massive logistical process,' Price admitted. 'But it was one of our proudest moments because we achieved something there that I don’t think there was another logistics company in the world that could have achieved.' This narrative neatly explains why F1 relies on a long-term logistics partner rather than merely purchasing transport capacity. When every hour is critical, success hinges as much on established relationships, deep experience, and access to a vast global network as it does on the trucks, aircraft, and ships themselves.
'The partnership we’ve built over more than 20 years is critical,' Price emphasized. 'It’s not just about moving freight. It’s about knowing each other’s requirements and being able to solve problems together.' The sustainability challenge extends beyond road transport; DHL and F1 are also actively addressing emissions from air and sea freight, as well as the temporary infrastructure required for each race.
DHL is transitioning to more efficient aircraft, including Boeing 777 freighters, and increasingly integrating sustainable aviation fuel across the championship’s logistics. On the ground, F1 has similarly transformed paddock power generation. Across the European calendar, team garages, hospitality units, and the broader paddock are now powered by a combination of large solar arrays, battery energy storage systems, and HVO-powered generators, substantially reducing reliance on conventional diesel.
Polhammer noted that the primary challenge isn't developing these technologies, but consistently deploying them globally. The European battery packs, for instance, are roughly the size of a 20ft shipping container, and international transport presents its own complexities. Charging infrastructure, local power supplies, and available equipment also vary widely across regions.
Consequently, Europe is currently leading the way in adopting these advanced solutions, while other parts of the calendar implement lower-carbon alternatives where local infrastructure permits. There is unlikely to be a single technology that delivers net-zero. Instead, progress will result from hundreds of incremental improvements: HVO for road transport, sustainable aviation fuel for air freight, smarter freight planning, regionalized equipment, more efficient aircraft, and, eventually, battery-electric trucks once the technology can consistently meet operational demands.
'As soon as the technology can meet our expectations, and we’re confident that we can still deliver the product we need to deliver, we’ll go for it,' Price affirmed. Artificial intelligence also featured in the discussion, though perhaps the biggest surprise was its relatively limited influence on day-to-day logistics currently. Both managers acknowledged that AI is beginning to streamline certain processes and enhance planning, but neither suggested it would replace human experience or judgment anytime soon.
Every circuit presents a unique logistical puzzle. Silverstone demands managing sheer scale and compressed turnaround times. Monaco challenges operators with its cramped streets and restricted access. New venues like Madrid require years of planning before the first truck even arrives. While technology is a valuable aid, knowing potential bottlenecks and having the relationships to resolve them still holds more weight than any algorithm. As we departed the trailer and headed into the paddock, the conversation about freight schedules, customs paperwork, and alternative fuels quickly gave way to the spectacle of F1. Fans craned over barriers hoping to spot a driver. Television crews hurried between interviews. At one point, British driver Lando Norris burst from a team building, pursued by autograph hunters, somehow finding time to sign as he ran toward the pit lane.
It was a vivid reminder of how the paddock blurs the lines between those who create the show and those who simply come to watch. The same could be said for the logistics operation itself. Few spectators give much thought to the hundreds of trucks, dedicated cargo aircraft, sea freight containers, and specialist logistics personnel who ensure every garage, television camera, hospitality suite, and component arrives precisely where it needs to be. That is perhaps the greatest compliment DHL and F1’s logistics team could receive: if they do their jobs properly, nobody even notices them. Yet for transport operators grappling with similar questions about decarbonization, resilience, and investment, a valuable lesson was hidden within that trailer at Silverstone. Even in one of the world's most technologically advanced sporting championships, success isn't about being the first to adopt every new solution; it's about choosing the right one for the job.
Source: Motor Transport