The McLaren Formula One team endured a scare at the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday morning when what is believed to be an electrical fire broke out in their motorhome, causing it to be evacuated. The fire brigade was brought into the paddock to deal with it and it is understood several people were taken for treatment due to smoke inhalation.
An hour before the final practice session began in Barcelona, with the team’s hospitality suite hosting guests, team members and drivers, the fire broke out in the unit which has two floors, reportedly above the kitchen, which is located on the ground floor.
The lights in what is known as the McLaren team hub paddock hospitality unit went out and everyone was calmly ushered out, including the British driver Lando Norris and his Australian teammate Oscar Piastri.
The fire brigade was summoned into the paddock, with personnel from other teams acting swiftly to clear the way for the emergency services. The firefighters entered the hub with hoses to deal with the fire, while ambulances also arrived, although it is believed there were no serious injuries.
Much of the drivers’ equipment is kept in the motorhome, including their race suits but the team were able to continue with the final practice session with both drivers taking to the track and the team running as planned.
McLaren issued a short statement. “This morning we evacuated our team hub paddock hospitality unit following a fire alert, the team has been safely evacuated while the local fire brigade handle the issue.”
Spain has suffered a fire in the paddock before when the Williams garage endured a serious blaze when fuel caught fire after Pastor Maldonado had won the race for the team here in 2012.
