Inside the biggest logistics challenge of the 2026 reset

Sporting Director Sven Smeets shares an insight on how planning for one of the biggest regulation changes in F1 history takes shape

Published

06 FEB 2026

Est. reading time

4 min

As Formula 1 gears up for a brand-new regulation cycle in 2026, the focus naturally falls on cars, power units and performance. But behind the scenes, an equally large operation is well underway.

According to Atlassian Williams F1 Team Sporting Director Sven Smeets, coordinating the logistics required ahead of the first race of the season in this new era is one of the most interesting challenges he’s faced in more than three decades in motorsport.

From his perspective, the standout difference compared to previous years isn’t just what’s happening on track – it’s the sheer scale of preparation across every department.

“Last year, you were in a very well-known pattern,” Sven explains. “You had one Bahrain test, then not much was changing. This time, everything is different.”

One major factor is the cost cap changes for 2026. Items that previously sat outside it are now inside, while others have moved the opposite way. That alone has changed how the team packs and ships its equipment around the world.

“Configuring the seafreight became a jigsaw puzzle,” he says. “Some things have gone into the cap, some have come out, so how we build those freight kits has to change completely.”

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2026 Test Livery

Add in a revised calendar and the challenge grows further. Three full sea freight kits won’t even return to the UK until the season ends, meaning personnel need to be deployed earlier than ever to locations like Bahrain to receive, unpack, turn around and re-ship equipment.

On top of that, the team has undergone a rebrand, which creates a knock-on effect across the globe.

“All our assets that are not here need to be serviced,” Sven says. “The first freight goes to Bahrain. We have to re-pack two full kits according to cost cap rules and fully re-brand them.”

Put it all together, and the scale becomes clear.

“The logistics operation this year is probably the biggest challenge since I’ve been in Formula 1,” he admits.

Testing only adds to the workload. With more pre-season tests on the calendar, the team has rethought how it deploys people to avoid burnout before racing even begins.

“In the past we worked with two shifts. Now we’ve gone to three,” Sven explains. “Otherwise you end up with people doing 16 or 17-hour days for the tests, plus travel. You reach Abu Dhabi levels of tiredness, and you haven’t even started racing yet.”

When it comes to race weekends under the new rules, there’s planning – but also honesty about the unknowns. That means extra personnel trackside, including additional operational passes and new pit wall and office setups to support them.

“You add two people, but then you need seating, facilities, where they sit, how it’s centralised,” Sven says. “And in testing, you don’t take two – you take four, six, eight.”

Our FW48 had a shakedown at Silverstone earlier this week

Bahrain will therefore be critical in shaping how the team approaches the season opener in Melbourne.

“We have an understanding of what we think is needed, but we really need those tests to have a clear mind on where to focus.”

Even established processes like wing builds are affected. With entirely new designs, Williams will take extra personnel early on to avoid being caught out by curfews or time pressures at the track.

“There are quite a lot of unknowns at the moment,” Sven says candidly. “You try to plan and anticipate, but the tests will give us a much clearer picture.”

Finally, there’s the rulebook itself. The 2026 Sporting Regulations have been completely restructured, filled with new terminology. Sven and Dave Redding, Team Manager, have spent the past year deep in the details.

“I even took some on my skiing holiday,” Sven laughs. “Instead of reading a novel, I was reading the new sporting regs.”

While the format may take time to get used to, he sees the changes as positive.

“A lot of things are much clearer in terms of what we want to achieve with the regulations,” he says. “The core racing is still the same. It will just take a bit of time to adjust.”

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Inside the biggest logistics challenge of the 2026 reset

Sporting Director Sven Smeets shares an insight on how planning for one of the biggest regulation changes in F1 history takes shape

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