"We have a very complicated calendar" - Red Bull says losing freight could 'wreak havoc' with F1's 'tight timescales'

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says teams cannot afford to have any delays or disruptions in freight. The Briton warned that such delays risk “wreaking havoc” due to the closely packed nature of this season’s calendar.

Horner felt that the “tight timescales” between races meant losing crucial equipment could hamper a team’s functioning. Speaking to the press ahead of the Imola GP, he said:

“It’s a big challenge. We have a very complicated calendar and there are very tight timescales, and with some of the triple-headers and double-headers coming up late in the year, obviously losing freight for a period of time could wreak havoc.”

With a record-breaking 23 races originally scheduled, the 2022 F1 calendar was on course to be the longest in the sport’s history. To accommodate the increased number of races, many events are scheduled for consecutive weekends, known as double and triple headers.

Such occasions put a huge strain on team personnel, who would now be forced to work long hours across multiple weekends. With very little respite in between, double and triple headers also pose a logistical headache for teams.

Teams have often been forced to transport vital equipment, including their cars, from one venue to the other within short periods of time. This becomes difficult with some of these venues being thousands of miles away from each other.

The freight issues were put into sharp focus when the flight carrying Haas F1’s freight broke down midway en route to Bahrain. The American team missed the first day of pre-season testing before being allowed to make up for lost time with additional running.

---

Red Bull wants compensatory measures within cost cap to offset rising costs of logistics

With rising freight costs owing to inflation, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has revealed that teams are having to fork out nearly double the price compared to previous seasons.

With the cost cap in place, Horner believes there should be a compensatory mechanism in place within the cost cap to offset any losses faced by affected teams. He said:

“I think freight is close to doubling this year. We see inflation throughout the world and when you consider that freight is something that is currently within the cap, we need to find a sensible allowance that takes into account these inflationary costs. It has a one-on-one effect on parts and people at the end of the day, that your only compensatory place to offset that.”

Meanwhile, Horner revealed that Red Bull is currently working with F1’s logistics team to find a “workable solution” to the issues and wants it addressed sooner rather than later.