450 tons in three Boeing 747s: the mega-operation that brought the World Endurance Championship to Brazil

Viracopos International Airport, in Campinas (SP), was the gateway to the equipment of the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo, the Brazilian round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) – one of the most demanding competitions in world motorsport – which takes place between July 10 and 12, at the Interlagos Circuit. Between last Thursday (2) and Saturday (4), the cargo terminal received five cargo flights dedicated exclusively to the transport of cars and the competition structure.

The operation handled about 450 tons of material and was coordinated by Sax Logistics, with the support of the teams of the Cargo Terminal (TECA), the concessionaire Aeroportos Brasil Viracopos and the customs authorities. The cargo included the prototypes of the Hypercar category, the GT cars (LMGT3) and all the technical apparatus of the teams’ pits, such as precision tools, tires and electronic components. The first three flights, made by Boeing 747-400s, landed in the early hours of Thursday and Friday; Two other aircraft arrived on Saturday.

After landing on São Paulo soil, the equipment was transported by road, in several trucks, to the Interlagos Racetrack, the stage of the race. The movement required planning to speed up customs clearance and the forwarding of cargo to the circuit, in time for practice and the race. According to the commercial director of Viracopos, Maria Fan, the operation reflects the terminal’s capacity to meet large logistics demands.

What is the WEC and how to follow the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo

The WEC differs from pure speed events by requiring extreme endurance from drivers and machines. The challenge is not only to complete the track in the shortest time, but to sustain competitiveness over the hours of the race, balancing fuel consumption, tire wear and mechanical reliability. The races in the category range from six to 24 hours – such as the traditional 24 Hours of Le Mans, in France – and at Interlagos the dispute lasts six hours.

Organized by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the category brings together major automakers — such as Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche and BMW — that use the tracks as a laboratory to develop technologies that may, in the future, reach road cars.

The only round of the championship in South America, the São Paulo race should bring together about 14 manufacturers and more than 30 cars in the Hypercar and LMGT3 categories, with Brazilians on the grid, such as Augusto Farfus and Dudu Barrichello, in LMGT3. The calendar also includes circuits such as Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps and Fuji, and the Brazilian stage returned to the World Championship in 2024, after years of absence.