What It Takes to Feed 5000 F1 Crew Members Every Day

In my video, I pulled back the curtain on the extraordinary logistics of feeding the Formula 1 paddock — and how a dedicated team of chefs, caterers and crew keep more than 2,000 people fed and hydrated every race weekend. After spending time with the catering teams behind the scenes, I wanted to put everything down in one place: how the kitchens are organised, who the key players are, what the drivers eat, and the gritty reality of working around the clock to keep an F1 operation running.

The scale: a travelling village inside the paddock

The F1 paddock is a small, self-contained world. In 2025 it houses 10 teams of roughly 100 people each — engineers, mechanics, strategists and support staff — and none of them can pop out for lunch during the working day. There’s no food sold inside the paddock itself, so every team must bring its own kitchen and crew.

That means the catering footprint is huge. On any given race weekend the combined catering workforce supports drivers, team principals, engineers, mechanics, VIP guests and media. At big races you’re looking at kitchens producing between 500 and 700 meals per day just for teams and guests, not counting hospitality suites and public catering outside the paddock.

Who feeds the teams: chefs, caterers and suppliers

Most teams don’t run full in-house catering operations. Eight of the 10 teams hire specialist catering companies to manage food service, while a couple prefer to handle their needs internally. These are not casual takeaways — they’re companies with experience supplying high-end hospitality and large-scale event kitchens.

Here are some of the regular pairings you’ll see across the paddock:

• J.I. Catering looks after Haas
• Mercedes works with DO & CO, one of the biggest catering outfits worldwide
• Ferrari uses Ritmo
• McLaren partners with Restaurant Associates
• Aston Martin works with Rocket Food
• Alpine uses Wallenborn Events
• Williams employs Absolute Taste
• Sauber/Alfa (Salba) use Gear Up Gastro
• Red Bull manages catering in-house

Each team will typically have four or five chefs with dedicated roles: a driver chef, a chef for senior management, a couple for the crew, and at least one focused on VIP guests. Staff numbers vary by race — a quiet weekend like Baku or Bahrain might need around eight catering staff, while busy events such as Silverstone or Austin can swell crew sizes to 14–16 people.

Community over competition: the paddock’s catering camaraderie

One of the most striking things I discovered is how collaborative this community is. The caterers stay in close contact — literally via a WhatsApp group — and they often help each other out when supplies run low or unexpected situations arise. This is not a zero-sum game; if one team runs out of milk or a particular ingredient, another will step in and deliver what’s needed.

That spirit came into sharp focus last year when a fire damaged McLaren’s hospitality suite in Barcelona. Several other teams pitched in, sharing kitchen space and even housing VIP guests until McLaren could recover. Another memorable moment was at Silverstone when an unexpected podium finish left one caterer short on champagne — colleagues loaned bottles so the celebrations could go ahead.

Hours, travel and the grind of race-week catering

Working in F1 catering is not a nine-to-five job. For full-time paddock caterers, a race week is a grind: set-up on Monday to Wednesday (often 08:00–18:00), then long days from Thursday through Sunday when demand spikes. It’s common for the catering crew to log 80–90 hours in a week. In extreme cases, staff have worked 110 hours over seven days.

Triple-headers make this even harder. Crew arrive on Monday to set up, work the busy four-day weekend and then pack up late Sunday night to catch flights on Monday. Some equipment and supplies travel by freight and leapfrog between events to ensure continuity. Full-time catering staff typically cover the 24–25 races on the calendar, but the shuffle and freight organisation can mean extra trips back to base for logistics, booking sea or air freight, and ordering ahead.

Menus, markets and the drivers’ diets

Quality is non-negotiable. This is top-level sport and the nutrition side is treated seriously. The kitchen staples are fresh vegetables, pasta (very popular), seafood, and quality meat. Preparations for each race often start on the Monday with a market run to source local produce and fresh items.

That said, teams tend to keep a consistent baseline menu for their staff — drivers and crew thrive on routine and need reliable meals that won’t upset them. For local flavour, engineers and crew usually go out in the evenings to enjoy the host country’s cuisine, while VIP hospitality blends local dishes with international favourites to please varied palates.

Drivers usually have tailored meals coordinated between the team chef and a trainer. Timing is critical: trainers specify the dishes and exact service windows so drivers get optimum fuel at the right time. Drivers might eat in the motorhome suite, in a private driver room inside the engineering suite, or meals can be brought directly to the garage when time is tight.

Health, safety and the nightmare scenario: preventing food-borne illness

One of the most important responsibilities of paddock kitchens is preventing any spread of illness. Imagine a food-borne bug taking out a significant portion of your garage crew during a race weekend — the consequences would be catastrophic. Catering teams operate strict hygiene and food-safety protocols: controlled preparation environments, accurate temperature management, and careful handling of shared dishes.

At pack-down, when motorhomes and hospitality suites are dismantled late on Sunday, a small skeleton team will often stay behind to feed the overnight crew — simple hot food like barbecues, sandwiches or wraps that keep people going while motorhomes are broken down and loaded for the next event.

Paddock Club: the pinnacle of event hospitality

Outside team catering, Paddock Club hospitality is a whole different beast. With premium ticket prices come premium expectations: chefs working live stations, roasted seafood, caviar, high-end cheese selections and dedicated chef-run counters for bespoke dishes.

Paddock Club kitchens are designed to impress and to keep an international crowd happy across four days. Presentation and variety matter as much as quality — guests expect a memorable culinary experience while they enjoy the action.

Media catering, freebies and food vans

Media catering varies widely by venue. Some events up their game massively — Mexico is a standout with teams of 15–20 staff preparing excellent meals across four days — while other circuits historically offered a more basic level of service. The bar has been rising, though, and this year many venues have improved their offerings.

From time to time, circuits or partners will set up tasting vans or samplers in or near the paddock. I’ve seen Barilla pasta served at Monza, shawarmas in Bahrain, and even stroopwafels in Belgium. Drivers and crew sometimes grab these treats between sessions — they’re a small, welcome diversion from the usual paddock meals.

Flyaways vs Europe: motorhomes, leapfrogging equipment and local sourcing

European races are easier logistically because most teams have motorhomes and a familiar setup that can stay put. Flyaway events require building kitchens from scratch: containers, refrigeration, gas, and a mix of locally sourced large items versus smaller pieces of equipment that travel with the team freight. Often there are multiple sets of critical gear that leapfrog each other to avoid supply gaps.

At the end of a race, kitchens can look starkly different from how they did during the weekend. Much of the larger equipment is bought or rented locally for a particular event, but plates, cutlery, smaller appliances and specialist tools are shipped. This careful choreography ensures continuity and prevents missing pieces when time between events is tight.

Why this matters: beyond convenience

Feeding a paddock is more than hospitality — it’s logistics, nutrition science and operations combined. Meals impact performance and morale. A reliable, well-run kitchen removes one stressor from a team’s week, allowing engineers and crew to focus on car setup, strategy and execution. The caterers are a quiet but vital part of victory.

Most crews do their job without fanfare, but their work is central to running a global sport. Whether it’s ensuring a driver has precisely timed, nutritionally tuned meals or scrambling to deliver spare provisions at 03:00, paddock catering is a study in teamwork and resilience.

Conclusion

Keeping the F1 paddock fed is a remarkable coordination of people, time and resources. From the market runs on Monday to the late-night pack-downs on Sunday, from intimate driver meals to the sprawling luxury of Paddock Club, the catering teams who travel the world with F1 are a cornerstone of every race weekend. They thrive on routine and adaptability, and their camaraderie — the informal swapping of supplies and the willingness to help a rival in need — is one of the quieter but most human stories behind the sport.

FAQ

How many people work in the F1 paddock at each race?

There are roughly 2,000 people working in the paddock at every race, made up of team personnel, race officials, media and guests. Ten teams of about 100 people each form a major part of that total.

Do teams buy food locally or travel with everything?

It’s a mix. Larger items and perishables (fresh produce, seafood, meat) are typically sourced locally each week, often with a market run on Monday. Small equipment and specialist kitchen gear travel with the team freight, and critical items sometimes leapfrog between events to ensure there are spares.

Who cooks for the teams?

Most teams employ specialist catering companies. Examples include J.I. Catering (Haas), DO & CO (Mercedes), Ritmo (Ferrari), Restaurant Associates (McLaren) and Rocket Food (Aston Martin). Red Bull handles most catering in-house. Each caterer uses a core full-time crew supplemented by casuals for busy races.

How many meals are produced each day in team kitchens?

At busy races, a team kitchen might turn out anywhere from 500 to 700 meals per day when you include team members and VIP guests. Media and Paddock Club catering are additional to those figures.

What are the working hours for paddock catering staff?

Catering staff often work long hours during a race week. Set-up days can be typical daytime shifts, but race days and hospitality service can push staff to 12–18 hour days. Week totals of 80–110 hours are not unheard of during intensive periods or triple headers.

How do teams handle special dietary needs for drivers?

Drivers usually have a dedicated chef or a chef assigned specifically to their meals who coordinates with trainers. Meals are timed precisely and tailored nutritionally to the driver’s needs; service windows and dishes are planned in advance to avoid any issues affecting performance.

Is food sold inside the paddock?

No. There is generally no food for sale inside the paddock. Outside the paddock, circuits may offer food trucks and partners’ stands, and occasionally sample vans provide free food during particular events.