Vodafone McLaren Mercedes - behind the scenes

The Monza Grand Prix has always produced thrills, and the incessant rain this year provided further excitement as the young Sebastian Vettel was the surprise winner in his Toro Rossa racing car.

As a VIP guest of Vodafone at this year's Monza Grand Prix, I had the opportunity to get an insight into the goings on behind the scenes.

Launched a few years ago, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes have by far the most stunning paddock, now referred to as a 'Brand Centre', in F1.

The new name is intended to reflect the fact that the centre is shared by Vodafone, Mercedes and McLaren, and that it is designed to be a meeting point for all the team's sponsors and commercial partners, and will encourage them to do business. Setting the standard for paddock hospitality, the Brand Centre takes around two days to construct and a team of some 20 people and a fleet of trucks are required to put it together.

Three-storeys high, the Brand Centre has an environment-friendly solar glass façade and nine 63-inch plasma screens inside. The top floor is dedicated to Vodafone while the rest of the building includes separate rooms for Lewis Hamilton and Heikke Kovaleinen - the stars of this year's Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team - as well as 20 office spaces for marketing and media staff.