F1 should brace for more freight chaos

Freight chaos could become commonplace in Formula 1 this year, according to Gunther Steiner.

The Steiner-led Haas team missed the start of the final pre-season test in Bahrain due to a freight delay, while DHL had to intervene to get all of the Melbourne-bound F1 equipment that was delayed at sea to Australia early this week.

The delays are said to be a combination of covid, Brexit, the war in Ukraine and general disruptions in global supply chains and transport.

"At the moment, I don’t think anyone can give you a guarantee that anything will get to the right place at the right time," Steiner said.

"I think Formula 1 is taking the problem seriously, but it’s one of those things that you can’t really control and I don’t think it’s going to get easier.

"Everyone is facing the same problem."

A DHL official this week said the knock-on effect of the disruptions are huge price hikes in freight costs, as it now emerges that F1 teams are asking for an extra $7 million in their budget caps to tackle rising inflation.

It is believed F1’s counter-offer is to split a $7 million increase per team over the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

"As always in these cases, we will meet somewhere in the middle," F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said.