McLaren F1 staff member taken to hospital after fire in Spanish GP paddock

22 June 2024 , 10:29

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Firefighters work on the McLaren hospitality unit (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

McLaren evacuated their hospitality unit at the Spanish Grand Prix after a fire broke out on Saturday.

It happened in the morning before the third practice session of the weekend got under way. Eyewitnesses reported seeing smoke appearing from between the two floors of the hospitality unit, sparking a swift evacuation.

Firefighters scrambled to the scene to locate the source of the fire and put it out. A McLaren team spokesperson told Mirror Sport that one staff member had been taken to hospital "as a precaution" and that all other colleagues and guests were safe and accounted for.

They said: "The team hub was evacuated of all staff and guests, and circuit emergency services attended the scene within minutes. The circuit emergency services and local fire department have since extinguished the fire.

"One McLaren team member has been taken to hospital as a precaution, and all McLaren personnel and guests are accounted for. We would like to thank all the marshals and emergency services for their quick and professional response. We would also like to thank Formula 1, the FIA and our competitors who have offered to help our team and guests this weekend."

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Speaking on Sky Sports F1, reporter Rachel Brookes said she had seen two firefighters given oxygen and treated for smoke inhalation. She said: "I've just spoken to a member of staff for the team and they were in the kitchen at the time. They told me the smoke seemed to come from between the floors, they think it was electrical and that probably explains why it was so difficult to put out and find in the first place.

"The smoke came down into the ground hospitality area which was busy at the time with media, the guests and drivers as well. Everybody from McLaren got out okay, they are all safe and well. A couple of fire personnel who went in to help have been taken away on oxygen as treatment for difficulty breathing. When they came past us here, both were conscious as they were wheeled out.

The McLaren motorhome was evacuated while firefighters put out the blaze (Getty Images)

"The smoke was very acrid - we could smell it way over in our TV compound which is quite a way away, and in the paddock here it was pretty strong. It has been put out now and it's a lot calmer here than it was a few moments ago."

The incident brought back memories of the fire which broke out in the Williams garage at this same venue at the 2012 Spanish GP. Race winner Pastor Maldonado famously carried his 12-year-old cousin Manuel, who was wearing a protective boot on his broken foot and had been holding the winner's trophy, to safety.

That incident brought teams from across the paddock together as Williams staff were joined by rivals in fighting the flames. The blaze was controlled after around 20 minutes but came at a cost. In total, 31 people were given treatment, mostly for smoke inhalation, including some mechanics from those other teams that had rushed to help and, though some had been taken to hospital, everyone hurt made a full recovery.

Daniel Moxon