From McLaren.com
It’s a living, breathing environment, an operational nerve-centre, a spotless, high-precision workshop and home to more than 40 hardworking individuals who spend all day (and often all night) making sure the cars are fast, reliable and safe whenever they hit the track.
As the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team's home from home, it’s essential that the garage is an environment where we can all live and work comfortably. And if you watch Formula 1 on television, or you’re our guest in the paddock, it’s important that the garage is viewed as a dynamic showcase for the most exciting sport in the world.
As a result, every team personalises the garage, turning it from an empty space into a fully functional work area.
At this past weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, McLaren introduced a brand-new garage space, meticulously designed and crafted to provide the race team with unsurpassed functionality, style and ease-of-use.
The initial proof-of-concept process was reassuringly old-fashioned. In-house designer Duncan Bradley and his team physically mapped out the measurements of each of the 19 pit garages the team would visit in 2010 in order to make sure the new garage furniture would fit under any circumstance.
Bradley’s team then worked closely and collaboratively with McLaren Racing to find even greater ways to optimise the space in order to create the most efficient and effective operational environment.
The re-design comes in an incredible two tons lighter than its predecessor, and has resulted in the most integrated garage environment ever: toolkits and fuel-rigs are now flush-fitted into workbenches; telemetry is monitored within the transporters by a crew in direct contact with their counterparts back at the McLaren technology Centre in Woking, and engineers can confer easily with both the drivers and the pitwall from their position at the Bridge -- the central operations cradle from which the whole garage functions.
In many ways, the Bridge is the most striking and innovative aspect of the entire garage re-design. By relocating last year’s opposing engineers’ desks (affectionately known within the organisation as ‘complaints counters’) into the middle of the garage, the race engineers can work together with greater force and momentum.
The Bridge is an area to download data, access telemetry, or simply confer -- as can be witnessed by watching the frequent exchanges between Jenson, Lewis and principal race engineer Phil Prew’s team of experts.
In addition, the RaceWatch capsule, which appeared for the first time last year, has become even more inclusive, putting guests right at the epicenter of the action and providing them with a 180-degree panorama of the garage. It’s augmented by unrivalled access to garage commentary, driver radio conversations and full onboard telemetry.
It’s a living, breathing environment, an operational nerve-centre, a spotless, high-precision workshop and home to more than 40 hardworking individuals who spend all day (and often all night) making sure the cars are fast, reliable and safe whenever they hit the track.
As the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team's home from home, it’s essential that the garage is an environment where we can all live and work comfortably. And if you watch Formula 1 on television, or you’re our guest in the paddock, it’s important that the garage is viewed as a dynamic showcase for the most exciting sport in the world.
 |
| Photo: McLaren |
As a result, every team personalises the garage, turning it from an empty space into a fully functional work area.
At this past weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, McLaren introduced a brand-new garage space, meticulously designed and crafted to provide the race team with unsurpassed functionality, style and ease-of-use.
The initial proof-of-concept process was reassuringly old-fashioned. In-house designer Duncan Bradley and his team physically mapped out the measurements of each of the 19 pit garages the team would visit in 2010 in order to make sure the new garage furniture would fit under any circumstance.
 |
| Photo: McLaren |
Bradley’s team then worked closely and collaboratively with McLaren Racing to find even greater ways to optimise the space in order to create the most efficient and effective operational environment.
The re-design comes in an incredible two tons lighter than its predecessor, and has resulted in the most integrated garage environment ever: toolkits and fuel-rigs are now flush-fitted into workbenches; telemetry is monitored within the transporters by a crew in direct contact with their counterparts back at the McLaren technology Centre in Woking, and engineers can confer easily with both the drivers and the pitwall from their position at the Bridge -- the central operations cradle from which the whole garage functions.
 |
| Photo: McLaren |
In many ways, the Bridge is the most striking and innovative aspect of the entire garage re-design. By relocating last year’s opposing engineers’ desks (affectionately known within the organisation as ‘complaints counters’) into the middle of the garage, the race engineers can work together with greater force and momentum.
The Bridge is an area to download data, access telemetry, or simply confer -- as can be witnessed by watching the frequent exchanges between Jenson, Lewis and principal race engineer Phil Prew’s team of experts.
 |
| Photo: McLaren |
In addition, the RaceWatch capsule, which appeared for the first time last year, has become even more inclusive, putting guests right at the epicenter of the action and providing them with a 180-degree panorama of the garage. It’s augmented by unrivalled access to garage commentary, driver radio conversations and full onboard telemetry.
 |
| Photo: McLaren |
 |
| Photo: McLaren |