marshals conducting a practice resume

Ella Bebbington

In all the chaos that comes with the unpredictable world of motorsport, marshals are the constants that keep the show up and running. Not only do they ensure the safety of the crowds, but they also play a fundamental role in the safety of the drivers, other motorsport personnel, and the tracks. Sometimes, they even entertain the crowds with their wit. 

What is the Role of a Marshal?

A marshal is there to ensure the safety of all personnel. Though their roles may change between different personnel. They will engage more with drivers on track than the crowd, but their presence alone acts as a safety buffer for everyone.

At every corner and gap in the fence, a marshal will be present for the benefit of the drivers and the teams. During all racing sessions, selected marshals will have access to the different coloured flags that indicate to drivers what the condition of the track is at that time. For example, if a yellow flag is waved all drivers must slow down; if a red flag is waved all drivers must make their way back to the pit lane at a steady pace; when a blue flag is waved it means that the driver must move out of the way of an incoming car because they are being lapped.

Times When Marshals Saved the Race

In the event of a crash or if a car has stopped on the track, marshals will intervene with the incident to ensure the driver and car are safely escorted off the track. If the crash is more serious and the driver is unable to make their way out of the car safely, then marshals will attempt to get the driver out if it is safe to do so. A recent example is in Silverstone 2022.

Zhou Guanyu was involved in a collision on the opening lap of the race at Silverstone 2022. This incident saw him and multiple other drivers, including George Russell and Alex Albon, sent into the gravel. However, Zhou took the impact of this crash and beached his car before barrel-rolling into the barriers. Almost immediately after, marshals rushed to the scene to determine whether the driver was okay and assess whether they could safely remove him from the car. These marshals assured the crowds that the driver was okay and, with the assistance of medical personnel, removed him from the car.

“they have to adapt to a situation when they’re needed to.”

As a thank you for their assistance, Mercedes driver Russell (who also helped recover Zhou from the crash) invited these marshals to the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 garage for a special tour. This recognition helped to shine a light on the role of marshals and how they have to adapt to a situation when they’re needed to. If there is any hesitancy on the marshal’s behalf, the outcome of a crash could be a lot worse.

Do Marshals Tend to Entertain?

Unfortunately, when a red flag appears in the race, the majority of marshals often find themselves manning their stations until someone tells them otherwise. Sometimes a red flag can last 10 minutes, up to an hour or even more, so what do they do to pass the time?

Sometimes marshals entertain the crowds, something seen recently during the red flag at the Dutch Grand Prix. As drivers and personnel waited in the garages for the rain to stop and to analyse their performances mid-race, several marshals had to wait it out in the rain. Huddled up in their weatherproof gear, some marshals even danced with the crowds while waiting for racing to resume.

“People often consider them the unsung heroes of racing”

Back in 2021, some marshals made it onto Formula 1’s YouTube channel! Their game of boules during some wet weather seemed to provide entertainment for commentators and crowds alike. A group of marshals stood at one of the run-off points on the circuit and played to their hearts’ content, not only showing that they tend to entertain the crowd but also themselves.

The Essential Role of Marshals in Motorsports

The fact is, without the presence of marshals, racing could not take place. People often consider them the unsung heroes of racing because they ensure the all-around safety and run sessions throughout a racing weekend. Despite their minimal active interaction with fans and crowds as the main focus of the weekends is the actual racing, marshals passive interaction definitely adds to the overall running and enjoyment of F1 weekends.

 

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Featured image courtesy of ph-stop via Flickr. No changes made to this image. Image license found here. 

Ella is a Sports Editor for Empoword Journalism. Her favourite sport is F1 and is in her first year at university studying a sports journalism degree. In the future she hopes to be an F1 journalist.

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