May 2007
The largest and most complex mobile hospitality suite in Formula One will be unveiled at the Spanish GP on 13th May 2007, thanks to systems and engineering technology company Frazer-Nash Consultancy.
The hospitality suite is a 155 square metre, split level modular building manufactured to the highest specifications and finishes, and sets new standards in size and luxury among Formula One teams.
Assembled using seven individual modular units, the Frazer-Nash detailed design, developed from a concept by Fran Cush, is delivered to each race by a convoy of six articulated lorries. The suite required aerospace-standard precision engineering and tolerances to ensure it can be disassembled and reassembled with pin-point accuracy at every Grand Prix.
The strict limitations of the designated areas at each race venue, preventing any team from encroaching on another’s even during set up, was also a major factor in design. Taking up the entire size of the 155 square metre designated area, the three-storey suite had to be designed so that it could be assembled from the inside, using a lorry in the centre equipped with a Hiab crane.
The final section in the heart of the suite is then finished by hand, with the whole assembly taking no longer than two days to complete.
According to Gary Lock, Business Manager from Frazer-Nash, it was a project which drew on the firm’s reputation for solving unique problems, and drawing on the full breadth of its capabilities in structural design and analysis:
“There’s simply no margin for error. With interior finishing that reflects the luxury and aesthetics of a five star hotel, even a hairline crack between any of the six modules would be regarded as below standard. For instance, just half a millimetre out on levelling the bases could mean the spiral staircase not joining up.”
The suite also had to be designed to handle high winds of up to 60 miles per hour, in addition to crowd loadings to accommodate hundreds of people at any one time.
Gary Lock added: “As demanding as these unique projects are, when they come along they’re enormously enjoyable and rewarding. In the end this gigantic jigsaw came together by drawing on techniques and technologies we’ve developed for a range of industries – from military and nuclear applications through to transport and energy sectors. Just another day at the office you could say!”
The client was Procar international Limited of Stanwell. As well as procuring the design and manufacture, Procar are responsible for the ongoing operation of the unit including transport, installation and dismantling the unit at the various Grand Prix.
Notes to Editors
Frazer-Nash Consultancy has its roots firmly in Mechanical Engineering, providing systems and engineering technology expertise to its clients across a range of industries from defence, to rail and offshore.