{"id":121180,"date":"2025-11-06T14:20:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T14:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/121180\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T14:20:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T14:20:19","slug":"f1-news-bruce-mclarens-grave-vandalised-in-auckland-cemetery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/121180\/","title":{"rendered":"F1 news: Bruce McLaren\u2019s grave vandalised in Auckland cemetery"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Bruce
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe grave of McLaren founder Bruce McLaren has been vandalised in New Zealand. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n

McLaren \u2014 founder of the McLaren Formula 1 team and one of New Zealand\u2019s most celebrated motorsport figures \u2014 was killed in 1970 during a testing crash in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

He was buried in West Auckland alongside his wife Patricia, who passed away in 2016, and near the graves of his parents, sister and brother-in-law.<\/p>\n

The Bruce McLaren Trust confirmed the incident in a statement, saying the graves of Bruce, Patricia, Ruth and \u201cPop\u201d had been targeted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have been sprayed with gold paint and had toy cars stuck onto them. We are lost for words as to why anyone would do this,\u201d the trust said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA very kind offer has been made by The Grave Guardians, a voluntary organisation that restores headstones to repair the damage, for which we are extremely grateful.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile this work is being undertaken, the stones are wrapped and unable to be viewed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udea8#Mclaren<\/a> founder Bruce McLaren\u2019s grave and those of his family have been vandalised in West Auckland. Gold paint was sprayed and toy cars were stuck to the headstones.<\/p>\n

The Bruce McLaren Trust thanked The Grave Guardians, for offering to repair the damage.#F1<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/9jUlOshTiq<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 MotorsportsClicks (@MotorspoClicks) November 5, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

According to Stuff, the damage was first discovered in late September by George Stewart-Dalzell from The Grave Guardians, who found gold paint covering the headstones and toy cars glued to Bruce and Patricia\u2019s grave.<\/p>\n

The phrase \u201cuntil we meet again Darling\u201d \u2014 which had been blacked out following Patricia\u2019s death \u2014 was also refilled with gold paint.<\/p>\n

Stewart-Dalzell told 1News she initially hoped the acts were not malicious but rather a misguided attempt to restore the graves.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was absolute carnage, we wrapped them and, in the space of a day, someone has unwrapped it and had another crack at Bruce\u2019s stone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople think that headstones are public property because they\u2019re in a cemetery and they can do what they like.<\/p>\n

\u201cI look at TikTok and Instagram and there are people using water blasters and blow torches and wire brushes and stuff like that, and I think they think they can grab some paint from the two dollar shop and come and repaint, not realising that damages the stone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Around a dozen other nearby headstones were also splattered with gold paint, and the grave belonging to McLaren\u2019s sister and brother-in-law suffered bleach damage.<\/p>\n

Even after repairs began, the vandal is believed to have returned multiple times and removed protective wrappings from the site.<\/p>\n

Auckland Council cemetery services manager Nikki Nelson told 1News the local authority \u201cstrongly condemns the actions of the individuals\u201d involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cSadly, we do experience incidents of vandalism at Auckland cemeteries from time to time. Prevention is difficult because cemeteries are public places that can be visited at any time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have CCTV at Waikumete, Manukau Memorial and North Shore Memorial cemeteries, with additional cameras recently installed at Waikumete Cemetery to help deter vandalism.\u201d<\/p>\n

She urged anyone who notices damage to graves to report it to police rather than attempting to make their own repairs.<\/p>\n

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