DHL Global Forwarding puts Japan’s FIA races into top gear with multimodal freight for racecars and equipment

• Air and ocean freight will carry critical vehicles from UK and China to Japan
• DHL's multimodal solution was designed to maximize safety while minimizing lag between adjacent races on both championships' schedules

TOKYO, JAPAN - Media OutReach - 17 October 2018 - DHL Global Forwarding, the leading international provider of air, sea and road freight services, will provide end-to-end multimodal freight support for the back-to-back Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the WTCR -- FIA World Touring Car Cup(WTCR) Race in Japan. As the official logistics partner of the global championship races for the seventh year, DHL Global Forwarding will deliver racing cars, spares and equipment via air, ocean and land freight to the WEC's Fuji International Speedway and WTCR's Suzuka Circuit.

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To support the races, DHL Global Forwarding will manage all transportation, customs clearance, and ground handling for 36 racecars, spares, and ancillary equipment -- including everything from specialized tires to high-performance engine blocks. Prior to the WEC race at Mount Fuji, DHL will ship the cargos via a combination of ocean and air freight from the United Kingdom and Germany to the Port of Tokyo, before delivering the cars and other equipment to the race circuits via road. In the lead-up to the WTCR's race, a second set of vehicles will arrive via ocean freight direct from their previous race in Wuhan, China.

"It is our honor to be partnering with the FIA once again for both the World Endurance Championship as well as the WTCR Race of Japan," said Charles Kaufmann, President/Representative Director -- Japan K.K, and CEO, North Asia South Pacific, DHL Global Forwarding. "As with all of the motorsports events we support around the world, our goal remains the same: deliver the race's critical ingredients with speed and agility, while also ensuring the utmost safety and regulatory compliance of these precious cargos. Given the relatively tight scheduling between each championship's events, we've also optimized our delivery patterns to ensure the cars move swiftly from their prior engagements to Japan before continuing on their global tours."

DHL Global Forwarding's rapid shipments and expertise in automotive handling will play a major role in ensuring the cars move from circuit to circuit according to the FIA's precise schedule. Immediately after each race, DHL's teams will load all goods, transport them from circuit to port, and clear customs within 72 hours, before conveying the cars to their next outings in Shanghai (WEC) and Macau (WTCR).

The FIA WEC, also known as 6 Hours of Fuji, will be held from 12-14 October 2018 at the foothills of Mount Fuji. The three-day event will see the likes of world-renowned racers like Fernando Alonso, Bruno Senna, Jenson Button and Oliver Webb race to the finish line during an endurance competition that lasts six hours, stretching over a 4.5-kilometer loop with 16 spectacular twists and turns.[1]

Meanwhile, the WTCR Race of Japan will be held over the weekend of 26-28 October 2018, consisting of three races totaling 42 laps and 168 kilometers.[2] At the Suzuka Circuit, home to the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix since 1987, drivers will be tested on their skills thanks to a unique figure-of-eight layout and variety of corners.

DHL -- The logistics company for the world

DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL family of divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 360,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, energy, automotive and retail, a proven commitment to corporate responsibility and an unrivalled presence in developing markets, DHL is decisively positioned as "The logistics company for the world".

DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 60 billion euros in 2017.