24h Le Mans
The spectacular action Hypercars deliver at Le Mans is undeniable. Yet, some of the most remarkable accomplishments kick off weeks earlier. To reach the circuit, racing cars, parts, tools and teams travel thousands of kilometres. As the winner of the 2026 Sustainable Endurance Award, Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA demonstrates its expertise in behind-the-scenes logistics.
24 Hours of Le Mans competitors leave nothing to chance. So many variables – like suspension settings, pit stop precision and tyre selection – can determine the outcome of the race. Well before the cars take the track, teams face a variety of challenges transporting personnel, equipment and infrastructure to the circuit. For Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, this preparation has become an arena for innovation where every decision is designed to balance efficiency and responsibility.
For teams competing at the highest level of endurance racing, making the journey to Le Mans is a monumental logistical undertaking. From racing cars and spare parts to tools, IT equipment and hospitality facilities, hundreds of items must arrive at the right place at the right time.
This year, Cadillac started reworking its process. Now 90% of the equipment shipped from the U.S. crosses the Atlantic by sea, compared to 70% in 2025. This choice — slower but more environmentally responsible — illustrates a profound shift in the preparation for an event like the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The team also modified its routines after arriving in Europe. Members of the American programme travel from Paris to Le Mans by high-speed train rather than by air, while Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA opts for road transport from its U.K. workshops. Several key pieces of technical equipment are now stored in Europe between events, rather than making a round trip across the Atlantic after every race.
For Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, logistics is no longer just a matter of transport. It is now an exercise in anticipation. What tools can be purchased locally? What equipment can remain in Europe? How can travel be minimised without compromising the team's efforts? These are all questions that have become a crucial aspect of preparing for Le Mans.
This approach extends to hospitality facilities (reused year after year) and to the focused and precise management of energy and resource consumption during the event. It is a comprehensive strategy that helped set Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA apart at the 94th 24 Hours.
This legendary race is very much about the men and women who, weeks before the start, coordinate a veritable ballet to ensure everything is ready on time.
Part of the DNA of endurance racing is mobilising logistics specialists and engineers alike, as well as transport managers and mechanics because each individual plays a vital role in ensuring the cars are ready to hit the track under the best possible conditions.
In presenting the 2026 Sustainable Endurance Award by DHL (Hypercar class) to Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, the jury panel recognised the team's ability to rethink essential behind-the-scenes aspects of the race. It serves as a reminder that at Le Mans endurance racing is about more than just the 24 hours spent on the circuit. It begins long before that sometimes thousands of kilometres away from the starting line.
