McLaren to Deploy Alternative Hospitality Unit for Austrian GP Following Paddock Fire Incident

McLaren will utilize a different hospitality unit for the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix.

According to Crash.net, McLaren plans to find a different hospitality suite for the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix.

Tense moments occurred in the Barcelona F1 paddock on Saturday before the last practice session when McLaren's motorhome was cleared out due to a possible electrical fire starting above the kitchen zone.

First responders and firefighting teams swiftly reached the scene and managed to stabilize the situation. A McLaren team member was transported to the hospital for safety reasons but was subsequently released.

According to Crash.net, the damage appears to be relatively minor and is mostly confined to a specific part of the unit. McLaren's primary issue is eliminating the lingering smoke odor.

The FIA, which oversees Formula 1, is accommodating McLaren's staff and visitors for the rest of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend due to their Team Hub being non-operational.

Although it is premature to predict McLaren's plans for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 7, the British team will find a different hospitality unit for the race in Austria next week as a short-term fix.

At this point, it is not certain if it will be a used motorhome from another team.

Following his achievement of securing the top starting spot for the Spanish Grand Prix, Lando Norris explained how a fire had affected McLaren's preparations on Saturday.

Norris was spotted leaving the McLaren hospitality area wearing only his socks, as he had "misplaced" his shoes during the evacuation.

"The most important thing is that everyone is safe and in good condition," Norris stated. "That's undoubtedly the most positive outcome from all this. One individual was taken to the hospital for some precautionary examinations, but everything is fine otherwise."

"It was quite a fright for everyone involved, definitely not a pleasant experience. Overall, it turned out to be a more stressful day than I had anticipated."

The 24-year-old British driver expressed gratitude towards competitor teams for assisting McLaren after the fire.

He shared that he hadn't been staying in his usual room, which prevented him from relaxing and unwinding as he typically would.

"I've received numerous offers from various individuals, which has been fantastic. Many teams, particularly McLaren, have been exceptionally kind to us, extending assistance and support. Overall, that aspect has been very positive."

"It's unfortunate that it probably won't be utilized today or tomorrow, and maybe not even in the foreseeable future, but I don't have any further information on that at the moment."

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