Freight delays hit F1 teams' Chinese GP preparations

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The 2025 F1 season's rapid-fire start, with back-to-back races in Australia and China, nearly descended into chaos as several teams faced a logistical nightmare ahead of this week's event in Shanghai.

Following an action-packed season opener in Melbourne, where McLaren's Lando Norris triumphed amid wet conditions and multiple retirements, the paddock's focus shifted to China for the second round – a Sprint format scheduled for this weekend.

However, the quick turnaround between the two races was thrown into jeopardy when significant freight delays disrupted the plans of at least four top teams: McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, and Aston Martin.

What should have been a routine transit of equipment from Melbourne to the Shanghai International Circuit turned into a high-stakes scramble.

The trouble began when two flights carrying vital race freight from Melbourne to Shanghai were delayed by at least eight hours due to unspecified aircraft technical issues.

Typically, teams expect their cargo – cars, spare parts, tools, and more – to arrive by Monday evening, giving mechanics ample time to unpack and assemble everything in the pitlane.

Teams Permitted to Break Curfew

This time, however, the delayed flights meant that the affected teams didn't receive their shipments until late Wednesday afternoon, compressing their preparation timeline dramatically.

Adding to the complexity, the FIA reported that Pirelli, F1's official tyre supplier, also faced delays, with its equipment only reaching the pitlane on Wednesday.

For a Sprint weekend, where teams get just one free practice session before competitive running begins, every minute of preparation counts.

The affected teams wasted no time unpacking their freight and building their cars from 4 PM local time on Wednesday, a far cry from the usual schedule.

Ordinarily, teams are allotted five and a half hours on Wednesday to work on their cars under strict curfew rules designed to limit staff workload.

Recognizing the extraordinary circumstances, the FIA stepped in with a pragmatic solution, extending this window by an additional half hour and permitting teams to break the curfew if necessary to ensure readiness for Friday's sole practice session at 11:30 AM local time.

"There are no worries about free practice, but these days will be some late nights for our mechanics," a team member confided to Motorsport.com, hinting at the grueling hours ahead.

Teams Rally Amid the Chaos

Despite the initial panic, optimism prevailed. The FIA and the teams expressed confidence that the delays wouldn't derail the weekend's on-track action.

With the first practice session still a day and a half away from the cargo's arrival, there was just enough breathing room to get the cars ready.

Posts on X from sources like F1 photographer Kym Illman and various fan accounts had initially fueled speculation about the scale of the disruption, with some suggesting that teams might not have their cars ready for FP1.

Illman noted, "Aircraft technical issues out of Australia have led to big delays in freight arriving into Shanghai for 4 teams," while others speculated about the impact on McLaren's momentum or Red Bull's ability to rebound from Melbourne.

Yet, the FIA's swift adjustments and the teams' adaptability quelled those fears.

The logistical hiccup wasn't limited to the four named teams. Some reports suggested that Williams might also have been affected, though to a lesser extent, while Pirelli's delay added another layer of complexity.

The tyre supplier's late arrival forced a revision of the tire-fitting schedule, prompting the FIA to reduce the curfew period specifically for tyre preparations – a concession that ensured Pirelli could equip the teams without further setbacks.

For McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, and Aston Martin, the focus shifted to maximizing every available hour.

Mechanics worked into the night, unpacking crates and assembling cars under floodlights, their efforts a testament to the behind-the-scenes grit that keeps F1 running.

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