DHL Fastest Lap
When it all comes together
Every kid who is into motorsports dreams of winning the crème de la crème of all motorsport races: a Formula 1TM Grand Prix. The incredible speed and cornering ability of a Formula 1 car is unmatched. Only a few dozen drivers around the world can handle the intensity and withstand the g-forces during a race, let alone drive at speeds in excess of 300 km per hour, with such precision.
And only a precious few have enjoyed the view – and sprayed champagne – from the top of the winners’ podium. Consistent speed, precision and teamwork is what it takes. Putting together the perfect lap – the Fastest Lap – also carries with it a level of prestige that every driver on today’s circuit fights to have race in and race out. Even a driver who is forced to retire before the final lap can walk away from the race with his head held high knowing that he ran that circuit, on that day, faster than anyone else in the field.
DHL Fastest Lap
When it all comes together
DHL – the world’s leading logistics provider – understands the importance of speed, precision and teamwork. And as the Official Logistics Partner of Formula 1, DHL recognized that it was high time to reward the driver who posts the fastest lap in a Grand Prix.
And so in 2007 the DHL Fastest Lap Award was born, honoring the driver who ran the greatest number of fastest laps in a season with the now-coveted DHL Fastest Lap Trophy. In the spirit of DHL’s motto “Excellence. Simply Delivered.” the rules are very simple: one point is awarded for each fastest lap. The driver with the most points at the end of the season wins the DHL Fastest Lap Trophy. It takes a combination of speed, precision and teamwork to achieve the fastest lap of a Grand Prix. These attributes are equally essential to DHL’s logistics business.
DHL Fastest Lap
When it all comes together
The DHL Fastest Lap may be a relatively young award – but the extraordinary performance which is awarded has long been recognized. Notching up the fastest lap of a race has always been a reliable indicator of a driver with special merit. It shows that they can deliver excellent performance under the greatest pressure.
Timo Glock, who now drives for Marussia Virgin Racing, has this to say about the DHL Fastest Lap Trophy: “The Fastest Lap Trophy is just fantastic. Even if you’re not the winner of a race you could be the one who’s driven the fastest lap, and that’s also a victory. It’s a great feeling to be the fastest and to win the Fastest Lap Trophy. To win a race you have to be fast constantly. But to be the one who’s driven the fastest lap at the end of the race is really something special.”
DHL Fastest Lap
When it all comes together
Mercedes Team Principal Ross Brawn says: “It is really a great trophy. It can also be a method to push the driver during the race.” Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, sums it all up perfectly: "It means so much to me that my success is appreciated that way. I really wanted to drive the fastest lap that’s why I hit the pedal to the metal just right before the end of the race. It was worth it."
Success in Formula 1 depends on a perfect mix of skill, commitment and the can-do attitude of trained and highly capable professionals – it all has to come together. The same applies to logistics. With an eye toward DHL’s own priorities – precision, teamwork and consistency – the DHL Fastest Lap Award not only celebrates the winning driver’s own skill, but also the stamina, reliability and top performance of the team that helps him get there.
