F1 team take major damage after HUGE storm hits Hungarian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen drives in the wet at the Hungaroring — Photo: © IMAGO

Hungarian Grand Prix

F1 team take major damage after HUGE storm hits Hungarian GP

Extreme weather has caused flooding at the Hungaroring

By Sheona Mountford.

Wednesday 17 July 2024 23:00

McLaren have suffered damage to their motorhome after extreme weather battered the Hungaroring.

The incident in Hungary is not the first instance of damage to McLaren’s motorhome this season, suffering damage at the Spanish Grand Prix.

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On the Friday in Barcelona a fire broke out in McLaren’s hospitality suite, with the emergency services called and their staff forced to evacuate.

Several individuals were treated for smoke inhalation but none were seriously injured after the electrical fire broke out.

McLaren suffered an electrical fire in Spain

Storm damages McLaren motorhome at Hungarian GP

According to F1 paddock photographer Kym Illman, the roof was ripped off by the storm winds, posting a picture of the incident on social media.

“Heavy rain, accompanied by hail, lightning and strong winds, flooded pit lane too with one F1 team crewmember jokingly swimming in the 20 cm deep water,” he wrote.

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A post shared by Kym Illman F1 (@kymillman)

Videos of the paddock have circulated on social media, of the hailstorm and how deep the water was on track.

One video depicted a Red Bull employee trudging through the water with two cups of tea in his shoes as he was hailed on.

If the weather does not clear up, the heavy rain could impact the grand prix weekend in Hungary, however, F1 have not released a statement on the impact of the weather.

The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix was cancelled in 2023 after floods devastated the region, killing at least 15 people.

Whilst the weather has been extreme it is believed no one in the paddock is injured, and those in the McLaren motorhome remain safe.

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

McLaren F1 Spanish Grand Prix Hungaroring