McLaren’s Budget Goes Here While Lewis Races For Peanuts.

The following is courtesy of McLaren:

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team is proud to unveil its new facility. The Brand Centre. This has been conceptualized, designed and built to present the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes brand to Partners and their guests and further enhance their race weekend experience and once again set the standard for paddock hospitality.

The Brand Centre:

* Will appear at all the European Formula 1 races.

* Will take approximately 20 people two days to erect.

* Is three stories high and within the parameters set by Formula 1 Management.

* Was designed and built by Bischoff+Scheck based in Baden Baden Germany.

* Has a 13.5 metres environmentally friendly solar glass façade at the front.

* Has nine 63-inch plasma screens to ensure optimum presentation of images and data.

* Has a total of four meeting rooms – one with video conferencing facilities and eight offices.

* Has separate rooms for Fernando and Lewis to relax in with state-of-the-art wireless games consoles linked between rooms, MP3-docking stations and showers etc.

* Cost has been covered by the three main parties in the team; Vodafone, McLaren and Mercedes-Benz and its cost will be absorbed over five years.

* Has 20 office spaces for marketing and media workers, in addition to wireless network throughout the facility.

While this monstrosity might look really slick and impress the chosen few punters who get to go behind the ropes, I think that the money would be better spent going towards the further development of the team. Don’t you?