Ferrari hopes to finally find a first podium this year during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend in Djeddah, where the team is considering a single stop in the race. While Charles Leclerc explained that he is betting on developments to be more effective on this circuit, Frédéric Vasseur is hopeful of reducing the gap against McLaren F1 and Mercedes.
“The first triple of races of the season ends in Saudi Arabia, on the Djeddah circuit, which presents very different characteristics in terms of route and track surface compared to Bahrain last weekend” explains the director of the Scuderia.
“In Sakhir, we took small steps forward in terms of competitiveness, thanks to the improvement in the performance of the car and a solid performance of the team, both in qualifying as in the race. During these few days in Maranello, we continued to work hard to analyze the data.”
“We want to approach Djeddah’s race with the same objective. We must remain focused on ourselves, because it is the best way to try to extract the maximum of the package at our disposal and make constant progress to reduce the gap that still separates us from those who precede us in the standings.”
The good news for Ferrari is that thanks to the new floor, the SF-25 operating window would have been enlarged by more than 30% in Bahrain, and new adjustment tracks were opened for Djeddah.
At the end of a triplet of shopping, the teams traveled several thousand kilometers with sometimes reduced deadlines. Sergio Bondi, director of logistics, explains the difficulties: “At the start of the season, the most complex phase for us is the preparation of maritime freight kits, because we ship the structures we use during the races.”
“It is a delicate task that requires careful planning and respect for a strict calendar. During the triple championship, the biggest challenge was to manage the constant flow of parts between Maranello and the circuit, whether updates or spare parts, or pieces returned to the factory.”
-And this is only the start of a very long season for freight and for the team’s equipment: “During the year, Formula 1 travels 340,000 kilometers. This means that it is necessary to manage the movement of more than 100 people, equipment and equipment.”
“Regarding the staff, it is a question of organizing thousands of arrivals and departures of hotels, vehicle rentals and airport procedures. For the rest, we have six identical kits to cover the season and their trip is meticulously planned. That of Bahrain is already on the way to Monaco, that of China for Miami.”
“From there, it will be used for the other American races, traveling by train organized with our partner Ceva Logistics. The shorter transfers are made by truck and we try to limit as much as possible the use of air freight for equipment, for reasons of sustainability.”
“All this requires a high level of planning, and we try to plan as long as possible, so that during the current season, we only have to face the unexpected, such as damage to the car, broken parts or a sudden change in the world situation. Then, there can be real mishaps, such as the fall of a container that damages all its content.”
The role of the logistics service is both important for timing, but also for finances: “Economic sustainability is vital: improving the effectiveness of certain procedures allows us to invest more in greater value procedures, and also because some of our costs are governed by the budgetary ceiling.”
“Logistics is a service function and our task is to ensure that everything is done as effectively as possible. As far as possible, we prefer maritime freight to air freight because, although slower, it makes it possible to achieve considerable savings. In general, our main efficiency strategy consists in consolidating the material that we send.”
“We work with our PMO department, which takes care of planning and organization, to organize shipments for each race with consolidated loads, combining and concentrating the materials to reduce the volume that we transport, by finding the right compromise between weight and volume.”
