Fire breaks out in McLaren F1 camper van in Barcelona

McLaren's Formula 1 campervan at the Spanish Grand Prix had to be evacuated on Saturday morning as emergency services were called following a suspected fire above the kitchen.

Ahead of the final free practice session of this weekend's race in Barcelona, ​​a multitude of security officers rushed into the paddock to help resolve a fire that had broken out in the area at the rear of the so-called McLaren Team Hub.

It appears the fire started in the area above the kitchen, so it could be an electrical problem.

The incident prompted camper staff to evacuate team personnel, guests, media and drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who were seen in the paddock watching the events unfold.

When the fire broke out, Mario Isola, head of F1 and motor racing at Pirelli – who is a part-time ambulance driver – was one of the first on the scene as he and other workers from the tire company brought fire extinguishers.

Shortly after, several fire trucks attended the scene, with firefighters rushing into the camper with hoses to put out the blaze. Ambulances were also present.

With the fire breaking out quickly, it was unclear whether the incident would impact McLaren's preparations for the final free practice session, with the understanding that Norris and Piastri's equipment is normally kept in the campervan.

However, drivers and car crews were preparing as usual shortly after FP3 began, with most teams in no rush to join the action and get out on track as it was green.

A brief statement from McLaren said its team personnel escaped unharmed from the incident.

“This morning we evacuated our reception unit from the Team Hub paddock following a fire alarm. The team was safely evacuated while the local fire brigade dealt with the problem,” said a spokesperson for the team.

The Spanish Grand Prix is ​​no stranger to fires, with the Williams garage catching fire after fuel caught fire following Pastor Maldonado's victory in 2012.