Will McLaren's fire-damaged F1 motorhome return by the Belgian GP?

A fire broke out between the two floors of McLaren's semi-permanent building, complicating efforts to pinpoint the source. Staff and marshals initially attempted to extinguish the blaze before fire crews arrived, filling the hospitality suite with water to prevent further damage and stop the fire from spreading to neighboring motorhomes. Despite these efforts, smoke continued to billow from the structure throughout Saturday afternoon, leading to the cordoning off of the Team Hub for the remainder of the day.

As a result, drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had to relocate to the engineering trucks, while CEO Zak Brown was offered the use of FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s office in the FIA motorhome. McLaren is awaiting a deep cleaning of the hospitality suite but reports that the damage is contained, expecting operations to resume before the summer shutdown. This is a positive development after Norris expressed concerns about the motorhome's future usability following his pole position qualification in Barcelona.

In the interim, McLaren must source an alternative motorhome for the upcoming Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. Plans for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the third race in the triple-header, remain uncertain. The team confirmed that while personal equipment was left behind during the evacuation, they did not need to borrow equipment from other teams to compete this weekend.

A McLaren team member taken to the hospital for evaluation has since been discharged, with the team expressing gratitude to the circuit and hospital medical staff for their care and support.