Sixteen people were injured in the fire, with one airlifted to hospital to be treated for burns, five were taken to a local hospital and treated for smoke inhalation, and ten were treated at the F1 track in Barcelona.
Black smoke billowed out of the Williams garage just seconds after its driver Maldonado won the Barcelona grand prix, the first time they had a driver win a formula 1 race in eight years, and the first time a Venezuelan and won a Formula One race ever.
Maldonado, moments after being hosted on the shoulders of second and third placed drivers Fernando Alonso and Kimi Reikonen on the podium, had to play hero as the gave his cousin, whose right leg was in a cast, a piggy back to safety.
It is thought that a fault with Maldonado’s team mate Bruno Senna’s car was to blame for the fire.
Photo: Getty.
