Logistical challenge for Williams

BMW Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen, talks about the logistical challenge the BMW WilliamsF1 Team has to cope with as the European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring takes place only one week after the exciting race at the Principality.

"The usual two-week break between Formula One races requires the teams to work flat-out, therefore the current phase in the Formula One calendar represents a very special challenge for all those involved. The Monaco Grand Prix was the first of six races which take place over a period of just eight weeks."

"Monaco, and the coming five races, form three back-to-back events. Monaco and Nürburgring, Montreal and Indianapolis and finally Magny-Cours and Silverstone are the three 'double headers' that Formula One will have to cope with in the coming weeks. To organise the necessary logistics, military-style planning is a must, with absolutely no time for breathers."

"Directly after the end of the dramatic Monaco Grand Prix, our cars were stripped down. Only the chassis will travel by truck directly to the Nürburgring, all other components such as steering, suspension components and gearboxes will be shipped by air to WilliamsF1's headquarters in Grove. There they will be subject to the usual diagnosis or will be rotationally replaced."

"Furthermore, the covering components and wings will also be shipped to Grove as air cargo to get a new varnishing for the European Grand Prix, while the BMW P84 engines were removed on Sunday evening after which a truck took them on to Munich. The new engines for the European Grand Prix will be shipped to the Nürburgring by truck.

"The big WilliamsF1 and BMW trucks and motorhomes will travel directly from Monaco to the Nürburgring, with the first of the trucks having left Monaco late on Sunday evening. Should everything go to plan, the WilliamsF1 equipment will have arrived at the Nürburgring by midnight on Monday, and the last new components will be there on Wednesday. Two weeks later, we will have to cope with the same tight schedule, but this time on another continent."

"While the BMW WilliamsF1 Team is busy preparing for the Canadian Grand Prix, there will be other BMW trucks at the Nürburgring when the 24 Hour Race takes place over the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. BMW Motorsport has entered two M3 GTRs for the traditional event, one for Jörg Müller, Dirk Müller and Hans-Joachim Stuck, the other for Duncan Huisman, Pedro Lamy and Boris Said. I'd really love to be at the Nürburgring for this fascinating endurance race, but there is really no chance to solve this logistical challenge."

-williams-