The Mercedes F1 team has announced that they have formed a new partnership with NetJets, the worldwide leader in private aviation.

With an expanding race calendar and resulting greater travel burden on both race drivers and team members, the Team has made it a major focus to optimise travel times and improve the efficiency of its logistics as much as possible.

For example, the 'triple header' of three consecutive race weekends planned for the 2018 season will present the Team with new logistical challenges. The prospect of gaining back working hours at the factory that would otherwise be spent travelling is a particularly valuable prospect.

"Over the past season, we have been working to optimise every area of our team operations and that includes how we best manage the challenges of race travel," explained Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport. "People will automatically think that private aviation means luxury lifestyle - but it has been common practice in Formula One for some time and will provide us with valuable time savings that can then be invested in finding more performance.”

"We know that these extra hours can make the difference and also keep the team fresher and fitter as the season goes on. I am delighted that we have been able to transform this work into a partnership with a market leader like NetJets."