Ten of the eleven
F1 teams had taken delivery of all their cars by Tuesday.
Toyota was unloading its second car midday, just before the track closed for the obligatory track test. This was 'the car' said BILL GIBSON, the man in charge of moving all the F1 cars and equipment. The team's third car would be coming in early Thursday morning, before the track was secure for the full day of support races. The Toyota team was still unpacking and making ready.
Gibson heads up Gibson Freight which employs 70 people to work around the clock for three weeks. They move in and out all the F1 equipment, which includes the teams,
FIA, and all the TV equipment. This year the overall tonnage is up - with the teams bringing in more as well as more broadcasting gear. This year TV is bringing in new generation equipment which includes high definition TV which is also smaller and more compact. It arrived a week ago.
Formula One uses five 747's carrying more than 600 tons of equipment, most in shipping containers. Additionally, another 100 tons comes in via commercial flights. And this doesn't count all that's hand carried equipment coming in with the crews and team members, especially
McLaren. And then there's the all the sea freight containers with hospitality and catering supplies. Formula One teams’ have no limits on how much they can bring, but after a certain limit is reached they are charged. Gibson didn't know the limit details, but said that the limit was probably exceeded by most teams.
I'm not sure if all teams have this, but I saw McLaren's headset set up. It had five tall sleek containers, for lack of a better word. On all four sides of each container were five head sets all in individual niches. It amounted to 100 head sets in the containers which swivelled like a drug store rack.
After all the teams unload, Gibson hauls all the empty containers to a terminal outside of town, and then brings them back Sunday night where it's an all night show of movement.
