McLaren is using a rental facility for the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix as clean-up work continues on the motorhome damaged by last week’s fire in Spain.
On Saturday morning, in Barcelona, a suspected electrical problem triggered a fire that required the intervention of local emergency teams to put out. Although all team members were evacuated from the motorhome without any injuries while putting out the fire, except for one individual who had to undergo precautionary hospital checks for smoke inhalation, the motorhome was taken out of action for the rest of the race weekend.
Despite cleaning attempts already carried out on site in Barcelona, the facility has since been sent back to Germany for further maintenance and deep cleaning.
Work is underway this week to try to get it back up and running, with the hope that it can be ready for next weekend’s British Grand Prix. If it fails to return to operation in time for Silverstone, the facility should still be ready for one of the races before the summer break.
Meanwhile, McLaren is using a hospitality facility rented from German firm Schuler, which provides its engineering base, known as the Performance Centre, during race weekends.
McLaren campers
Photo credit: Jon Noble
Although the temporary hospitality facility is smaller than the classic motorhome, the smaller number of guests for the Austrian GP compared to other races means that McLaren will be able to get through the weekend with minimal disruption. The facility has space for engineers and can accommodate mechanics when needed.
Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have moved their rooms to the Performance Centre, where team principal Andrea Stella also has his office.
F1’s welcome response
While F1 is super competitive on the track, Stella praised the spirit of his rivals off the track for the way they came together to help his team in Spain.
With the help of other teams and the FIA, who lent facilities or spaces for team staff and guests, Stella said he was surprised by how everyone else in the paddock rallied to give their support.
“The assistance, solidarity, sympathy and support we received from all the other teams, from F1 and the FIA gave us, I think, a real emotion. We were moved.”
“I was talking to another member of the team about the sense of community we have in this paddock and the fact that sometimes we forget about it because we are here to compete with each other,” explained the McLaren Team Principal.
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