FIA praise Caterham after fire in F1 garage

Caterham have been praised for helping Williams tackle last Sunday’s garage fire in Barcelona.

Members of the Caterham pit crew and mechanics – joined by others up and down the pit lane – rushed to Williams’ aid as soon as the blaze broke out 90 minutes after Pastor Maldonado’s victory for Williams in the Spanish Grand Prix.

Four Caterham personnel were treated after the incident, three for smoke inhalation and one for a fractured thumb, and their team principal Tony Fernandes has been thanked for his team’s actions by FIA president Jean Todt.

“When I saw what happened in (Williams) garage I was obviously concerned for the safety of my team and all the people from teams up and down the grid who showed incredible bravery, putting themselves in the middle of a very dangerous situation,” Fernandes said.

“Since the team returned to base I have received a very gracious communication from Jean Todt, thanking our boys for helping put the fire out.

“The actions of the Williams team, people from our team and everyone else who helped out, stopped the situation escalating and it makes me incredibly proud to be part of a sport that shows such bravery and spirit.”