Motorsport teams' travel
Discussion
In big international motorsport series (I'm thinking of F1, LMS, WTCC etc.), how do the teams' personnel get to the race meetings and tests? Do the teams buy loads of airline tickets on ordinary flights or do they charter aeroplanes? If the latter, do multiple teams share charters? What about senior personnel and the drivers. Do they travel with the rest of the staff. Are they expected to make their own arrangements? Do many of them fly on their own private aeroplanes?
What about travel to and from airports, circuits and hotels. Are coaches hired for this purpose or does everyone hire a car?
Do the series' organisers have any involvement with travel arrangements?
What about travel to and from airports, circuits and hotels. Are coaches hired for this purpose or does everyone hire a car?
Do the series' organisers have any involvement with travel arrangements?
Hi Sam,
I used to work for Renault F1,
The teams buy loads of airline tickets and all the general staff fly in the cheap seats at the back. I have been on a couple of chartered private planes that two teams used to hire together but that was an arrangement with Paul Stodarts company European aviation. We use to hire a bus to get to the air port and at European race Renault vans were waiting for us to drive. Long hall race we just hired vans for the hole team. You would quiet often get on a flight with two or three teams on the same plane. The top staff and drivers would tend to fly out later than everybody else and generally in first or business. As for driver they move around so much for PR and from race to test generally they would fly in first but not in a private plane all the time. People like Coulthard have a large motorhome that is sent to every European race, test to stay in at the circuit.
There was generally one company that dealt with all the teams travel bookings.
I used to work for Renault F1,
The teams buy loads of airline tickets and all the general staff fly in the cheap seats at the back. I have been on a couple of chartered private planes that two teams used to hire together but that was an arrangement with Paul Stodarts company European aviation. We use to hire a bus to get to the air port and at European race Renault vans were waiting for us to drive. Long hall race we just hired vans for the hole team. You would quiet often get on a flight with two or three teams on the same plane. The top staff and drivers would tend to fly out later than everybody else and generally in first or business. As for driver they move around so much for PR and from race to test generally they would fly in first but not in a private plane all the time. People like Coulthard have a large motorhome that is sent to every European race, test to stay in at the circuit.
There was generally one company that dealt with all the teams travel bookings.
When I worked for a short time as a subbie to Cosworth (test team radio engineer), back in 99, I flew everywhere business class! Lovely! Bottle of wine with your meal sir? Proper china, proper knives and forks, proper glasses to drink out of, room to move your elbows.......
I remember flying back from Bologna airport (just before the San Marino GP) and meeting up with one of Arrow's guys also on his way back (a sticker man if I remember right). I jumped on my BA flight to Heathrow business class, and he was on a cattle class flight back to Gatwick I think...
Then again, Tom would have been skimping on all sorts as they were almost bankrupt even then!
How the other half live, eh!
I remember flying back from Bologna airport (just before the San Marino GP) and meeting up with one of Arrow's guys also on his way back (a sticker man if I remember right). I jumped on my BA flight to Heathrow business class, and he was on a cattle class flight back to Gatwick I think...
Then again, Tom would have been skimping on all sorts as they were almost bankrupt even then!
How the other half live, eh!
As has been said, most of the guys will fly to European events using no-frills airlines - typically Ryanair/Easyjet although quite often race engineers will be given better flights...
I'm not sure what happens for the flyaway races (ie where the kit is air-freighted out, rather than sent on the trucks) - I'd imagine better (...well more expensive anyway!) flights are booked for these.
I'm not sure what happens for the flyaway races (ie where the kit is air-freighted out, rather than sent on the trucks) - I'd imagine better (...well more expensive anyway!) flights are booked for these.
With F1 I believe that if you finish in the top 10 of the Manufacturers Championship the previous year you get free freight (presumably limited) and assumming it wasnt your first year on the long haul races.
Certainly I have read, as stated above, that Paul Stoddarts airline (European Aviation) used to have a contract to fly some of the teams personel to races abroad. Presumably the plane was taking his own team so it made sense to charge another team to take up spare space!
Some drivers have there own planes, and some have parking spaces in the paddock at every race. I know when I went to the Malaysian GP a few years ago some team members were in the same hotel as me. Although I failed to cadge a lift to the circuit (mind you never tried!)
Certainly I have read, as stated above, that Paul Stoddarts airline (European Aviation) used to have a contract to fly some of the teams personel to races abroad. Presumably the plane was taking his own team so it made sense to charge another team to take up spare space!
Some drivers have there own planes, and some have parking spaces in the paddock at every race. I know when I went to the Malaysian GP a few years ago some team members were in the same hotel as me. Although I failed to cadge a lift to the circuit (mind you never tried!)
Ive done ALMS, ELMS and various other GT stuff and basically its one thing. Cheap!
Depending on how flush the team is, for local races its all jump into someones cars and then share rooms in hotels/motels. Stuff like LeMans then they'd rent a couple of MPV's but someone (usually me!) would have to drive.
In the ALMS, the teams generally fly between races, again cattle class, the transporter leaves a few days before. Then one of the mechanics gets to drive (me again!) but also gets to use their own credit card as cover on the hire car.(for some reason US rental firms only accept cards in drivers name) Some "local" US races are driven to the teams Ive worked for fill all available seats in the transporter and Dually etc. before taking their own cars.
Some flyaways do get subsidised, we did a few races in Japan and did the Adelaide race in 2000. For these races the organisers sometimes pay for flights and some accomodation, some of the Japanese races were at Suzuka so we all stayed in the complex at their cost.
Depending on how flush the team is, for local races its all jump into someones cars and then share rooms in hotels/motels. Stuff like LeMans then they'd rent a couple of MPV's but someone (usually me!) would have to drive.
In the ALMS, the teams generally fly between races, again cattle class, the transporter leaves a few days before. Then one of the mechanics gets to drive (me again!) but also gets to use their own credit card as cover on the hire car.(for some reason US rental firms only accept cards in drivers name) Some "local" US races are driven to the teams Ive worked for fill all available seats in the transporter and Dually etc. before taking their own cars.
Some flyaways do get subsidised, we did a few races in Japan and did the Adelaide race in 2000. For these races the organisers sometimes pay for flights and some accomodation, some of the Japanese races were at Suzuka so we all stayed in the complex at their cost.
I remember reading about the Tyrrell team in the early 80's. Strapped for cash, they went to the last race in Japan on the premise that they'd pick up enough points/prize money to get back home. They didn't. The team posted all their personal gear back home and took the cars onto the place in bits, as baggage and hand luggage.
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