McLaren motorhome wows on debut

Paddock hospitality has moved on apace since the days of a converted bus and team boss Ron Dennis explained that McLaren's new facility has been over two years in conception.

The British American Racing and Jaguar paddock HQs, state-of-the-art when they first appeared, now look distinctly old hat next door to McLaren's development, which has been equipped by Bloomberg, providers of news, data and analysis to the business community. The launch of the centre also saw the announcement of a partnership between the two companies.

Ron Dennis said with a smile: "Before anyone suggests that perhaps we are not focused on the right area, let me say that not one person involved in this project, except me, is also involved with making our cars go faster!

"It all started when we realised that paddock hospitality has moved on since the days of trucks. We then had buses for the chassis supplier, engine manufacturer and chief sponsor. But they were separate and the approach wasn't really conducive to being a team."

The space-age HQ is brought to the European circuits via flat-bed trucks and, says Dennis, takes just 15 hours to assemble. "The idea was that it would require no more people or time than the three crews that we already had for our existing arrangements. We are two people over here, but broadly we have achieved that."

As well as a central entertaining area and individual upstairs offices, it has a media room, meetings rooms, full cooking facilities and wall-to-wall flat-screen TVs and real-time communications facilities. And, the crowning glory, it will issue post-race press kits to the media - containing a drink and a sandwich. Sure-fire universal acceptance!