They encounter the most unusual requests, transporting drivers, influencers, VIPs, and SkySports staff in minibuses and luxury vehicles during Grand Prix events. The Dutch company GoHammerhead has grown into a major player in Formula 1 over the past fifteen years. “Everything hinges on an infinite number of small details.” About special customers with special requests. And more…
At the conference table in the GoHammerhead office in Meppel, the logo immediately catches your eye. A hammerhead shark, recognizable by its T-shaped head, stylized as a front wing of a Formula 1 car – powerfully illuminated on the wall. When asked about the origin of the name and logo, CEO and founder Maarten Heymen laughs. It’s invariably the first question he gets from potential clients, which inadvertently proves to be an excellent conversation starter. “A hammerhead shark has exceptional senses to adapt to its environment,” he says. “That fits exactly with what is required in our industry and what we as a company want to radiate.”
Heymen transports countless guests on behalf of his firm at all 24 Grand Prix events: from the biggest sponsors, senior team staff, Lewis Hamilton and other Formula 1 drivers and influencers to the more than seventy employees of the British TV channel Sky Sports. Discretion, safety, service, and punctuality are, according to him, the magic words for success.
“Our team consists of 35 office employees and a pool of about 200 event coordinators. Part of this consists of experienced veterans, who are still deployed a handful of times a year. This group is particularly valuable at peak times, when multiple major events are taking place simultaneously. It is then more challenging to maintain quality standards,” Heymen explains about his staff.
It’s not an ‘I-travel-the-world-job’, Heymen assures. “The difference between delivering an extremely good service or just not quite is incredibly small. It all depends on an infinite number of small details, all of which you need to pay attention to,” he says. “Our event coordinators are industrious and real go-getters, who draw energy from representing customer interests to the maximum and exceeding customer expectations.”
As a student, Heymen himself got behind the wheel of vans during a Formula 1 weekend. A fun pastime and also a cheap way to discover the world. By his side was Joris Honings, co-founder of the firm.
“We got to know each other in Groningen during the introduction day of the International Relations study. From the first moment, it clicked, we could immediately read and write with each other. We shared a passion for sports, everything with wheels, solving challenges and had the same relaxed attitude: we knew quite quickly that we both wanted to start a business but above all also wanted to experience adventure and fun,” Heymen recalls.
Laughed At
The childhood friends discovered the world of exclusive transportation on and around the circuits through a specialized Formula 1 travel agency in Groningen. In 2011, they started their own company, which gained serious traction within a year. Their first major assignments were the Grand Prix of Monaco and Red Bull Crashed Ice. Their first major client: Sky Sports. In the early years, they faced fierce competition from two German parties. “Joris and I were on the road together and were more or less laughed at by 150 German drivers,” Heymen recalls as if it were yesterday. “They must have thought: ‘What do these two Dutchmen think they’re doing here?’
The dynamics within the industry have since changed. GHH has set a new standard and significantly expanded its portfolio. It is active in almost all motorsport events, such as MotoGP, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, other WEC races, Formula E, Indycar, and Nascar, but also makes significant strides outside of these. From prestigious sporting events like the NBA, NFL, Kentucky Derby, Roland Garros, and the Champions League final to conferences and product launches for companies like Aston Martin and other car manufacturers: the firm ensures a flawless first and last experience for the customer.
Continuous innovation is the keyword. “In a world that revolves around efficiency and economic progress, you simply get overtaken if you don’t keep adapting your business model,” says Heymen. “In the first few years, we refined our service. As we scaled up and the communication lines became increasingly complex, a more layered organization emerged. We didn’t just add more people everywhere, but clearly delineated everyone’s responsibilities. What’s wonderful to see is that many colleagues have grown with the company.”
Odd Requests
One thing Heymen has never lost sight of over the years. “We still strive to deliver perfection with a personal touch. We adhere to the following service principles: design (based on the objectives and budget of their clients, they design a project plan), manage (from the moment a go is given on the initial project plan, they remain as flexible as possible and continue to tweak the final set up based on necessary updates) and execute (they carry out the project with the help of their own staff and worldwide partners on location). Our clients know that we can handle large and complex assignments and that extra services, even if they are often very last minute, are picked up without any problems.”
At the office, he sees the most bizarre requests. “We suggested a white/pearlescent Rolls Royce to a very extravagant guest who wanted a white one, but that was absolutely not done. He was not calm until we arranged a pure white one on the spot,” he explains, “but these kinds of demands are typical for these types of guests. When we get requests for a Rolls-Royce, Bentley or a very specific vehicle, we can’t do a half-hearted job. That won’t work.”
Many drivers and team bosses also use GHH’s services, Heymen says. In the world of glitz and glamour that is Formula 1, a luxury SUV (like a Chevrolet Suburban), luxury mini-van (like a Mercedes-Benz V-class) or luxury limousine (like a BMW 7-series) with a chauffeur is not enough. Nothing is left to chance.
Important Guest
Heymen: “We transport an important person from a team at every Grand Prix all weekend. He always wants the same temperature in the car: 16 degrees. But the air conditioning often gives him dry lips. What do we do? We always have Labello (lip balm) ready for him. And he appreciates that very much. We try to make a difference at all levels: with a chilled bottle of water in the car or a Wilhelmina peppermint for the guests. That candy has become our trademark. We want to do just a little more or something different.”
Guests’ wishes are communicated through a briefing. “It is strictly ensured that everything is present, which is also checked by the client. Those wishes,” Heymen continues, “vary from person to person. Sometimes they don’t exist at all. We are there to facilitate them, so they can focus on their own business and not on peripheral issues. The less eccentric situations, the better.”
The most challenging Grand Prix? “Monaco,” Heymen answers resolutely. “A lot happens there in so few square kilometers. You need to know all the ins and outs to be able to make a feasible plan.” But even that is no guarantee against unforeseen circumstances. “The police can close the roads at any time when Prince Albert is being transported. Then a street is just, whoosh, closed off and you can jump high or low regardless of who is in the vehicle, but you can’t go anywhere,” Heymen knows. “We alert our customers to these kinds of situations and show with our expertise that we don’t get flustered. Communication is a great asset in this industry.”
“In 2022, Imola was hit by heavy rainfall. Highways in the area flooded, and the circuit’s paddock was underwater. The Grand Prix was cancelled the day before the race weekend, but the operation was already set up and service had already started for some customers. “Those are stressful moments,” admits Heymen. “Even in that situation, communication was the magic word.”
According to him, there is so much more involved, not just in terms of logistics. In Brazil and Mexico, safety is always thoroughly mapped out, given the differing safety standards in these countries. “At such destinations, depending on the frameworks provided by our customers, we provide armed security, armored vehicles with police escorts,” Heymen explains.
The sport has become highly professionalized over the years, Heymen notes. “That has truly exceeded my expectations,” he says. “It has grown from reasonably professional to an unprecedented level. Just look at the size of the teams, marketing departments, and hospitality units.” GHH has benefited from this, Heymen acknowledges. “This development is absolutely positive, as demand is greater than ever. But you’re only as good as your last result, and that applies to every facet of this sport.”
Award
In 2022, Quint takes over GHH. A year later, Quint, a leading provider of premium experiences around the world’s most prominent sporting events, is acquired by Liberty Media. Although Heymen and Honings initially have no plans to sell their company, the takeover turns out to be a bullseye.
“It’s a strategic partnership where GoHammerhead has fully retained its own identity. Liberty Media is not a competitor, but the overarching chain. They hold the rights to, among other things, Formula 1 and MotoGP, and in this industry, VIP transport is always a component,” Heymen explains. “Being part of this concern has opened new doors for us and brought us closer to the action. It also enables us to leverage more resources than we could have ever done on our own, and we are maturing as a company.”
The icing on the cake comes at the end of 2024: GHH is named by Het Financieel Dagblad as the fastest growing company in the North region and receives the prestigious Golden FD Gazellen Award.
Vettel: Selfie with Driver
There’s no shortage of event staff. Understandably, it’s common for a Formula 1 driver to get in. Yet a four-time world champion managed to remain unnoticed. “One of our best people, someone who performs his job extremely professionally, was assigned to pick up Sebastian Vettel. He shook his hand, introduced himself, and asked, ‘And your name is…?’ to which Vettel burst out laughing,” Heymen chuckles.
The German four-time world champion, then still driving for Ferrari, found himself in an unusual situation that he quite enjoyed. He made a special request and gave the driver the day of his life. Heymen: “Vettel found it so refreshing not to be recognized for once, that he took a selfie with the driver.”
