November 5, 2024

From Bus to Marquee: The hi-techery of motor home design at Silverstone’s #FIAWEC weekend

In the olden days when everything was black and white teams would arrive at a race venue, park the team bus and that was it. In fact they were lucky if they had a team bus. How times have changed. Today’s buses have wings and canopies that turn them into marquees. The teams are missing a trick by not renting them out for weddings. A few of the examples on display in the paddock at Silverstone show just how much ingenuity goes in to the design of these unusual conglomerations.

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Pecom racing is a fine example of a bus disguised as a marquee.

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Race admin even have chairs on the roof of their bus to allow them to enjoy the sun. These were somewhat under-used at Silverstone…

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Audi brought a complete building to Silverstone. I had to ask to make sure it was temporary. It is though, and can be configured in different ways according to the space they have available. I don’t think a bus is involved, but I could be wrong.

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Rebellion Racing have a hi-tech set-up, with balcony. But it still gives me the impression that this folds down and that slides in… et voila! Un bus!

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Aston Martin have gone for the classic bus marquee set-up.

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Whilst Porsche seem to have a lorry-marquee hybrid

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Toyota have a large space emblazoned with their drivers’ names. There’s probably a bus in there somewhere, it’s hard to tell.

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What the Lotus base transforms into and out of I have no idea. But I’d be surprised if a  bus is not involved.

The intricacies of the creation of the motorhome are amazing. Research will be carried out into this subject and a full report made in the future. A dissertation might even be written on the subject. Any teams that can share information on the journey from bus to motorhome please get in touch! racing@flaneur.me.uk

 

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