Shortly before the third free practice session at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit, a fire broke out in the McLaren motorhome. Although no casualties were reported, a crew member was taken to the hospital as a precaution. The fire is said to have started between two floors due to electrical problems.
With only a few days to find a replacement, McLaren unveils a smaller black motorhome to accommodate Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The communication team, which also shared the motorhome, will be housed alongside the FIA members to make more room for guests. A temporary solution for the team that hopes to resolve the issue before mid-season.
A surge of solidarity
As everyone is worried about the team’s health, Andrea Stella, team director, first and foremost wants to thank those who helped them control the fire. “The factor I would like to highlight is the help, solidarity, sympathy, and support we received from each of the teams, from F1, and from the FIA,” Andrea Stella communicated. “It provided us with a genuine emotion. As if we were connected. I discussed with another team member the sense of community that we [felt], that we have in this paddock and sometimes we forget about it because we have to fight each other. But I think that when it manifests itself in this way, we should remember it and never miss an opportunity to set an example,” he added.
The motorhome that had been destroyed unfortunately could not be replaced for the Austrian Grand Prix. When asked about the changes this could have on the team, the team manager pointed out that the biggest changes would be in the meeting rooms and the food served in the garage. Nevertheless, this incident did not prevent British driver Lando Norris from securing pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix.
In search of a solution
The team that wanted to solve the problem as quickly as possible would have contacted Red Bull to check if one of their former motorhomes was available, admitted Helmut Marko. Unfortunately, due to the MotoGP taking place in the same week, Red Bull was unable to provide a replacement motorhome to the team. McLaren had to turn to rental ones instead.
MCLAREN’S REPLACEMENT MOTORHOME
An electrical fire in McLaren‘s motorhome last weekend at Barcelona has resulted in it being out of action this weekend. But they have found a replacement motorhome, albeit a much smaller one, for this race and it looks good in the paddock this… pic.twitter.com/0o98FZkrCH
— Kym Illman (@KymIllman) 27 juin 2024
Despite everything, it was fortunate that none of the necessary equipment was damaged for the team that certified they didn’t need to borrow anything for this weekend’s race.
The team is not guaranteed to find their motorhome for the home race at Silverstone. Without a solution, they would consider renting a motorhome again for the occasion.
