Dorothy Uwota has been awarded the 2026 Pirelli British Grand Prix Marshal of the Year Award at Silverstone for her dedication and service to motorsport. The award was presented by Mercedes driver and 2026 Formula 1 World Championship title challenger George Russell.
Dorothy is the event’s Chief Pit Lane Marshal, and has been volunteering at the event since 2001 – this year’s race is her 26th British Grand Prix.
Dorothy was a Pit/Grid Marshal at her first British Grand Prix and in 2012 became the Assistant Pit/Grid Marshal. Two years later she was promoted to Deputy Pit/Grid Marshal before becoming Chief Pit/Grid Marshal, a role she has held since 2022.
Having not missed a single event, Dorothy has attended more British Grand Prix weekends than Fernando Alonso, who also made his debut at the same time. The Aston Martin driver raced for Minardi back then but took a sabbatical after 2018.
At the time of Dorothy’s first British Grand Prix, several drivers had yet to be born, including championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Last year’s title contender Oscar Piastri was just three months old when Mika Hakkinen’s McLaren defeated the Ferraris of polesitter Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello in the Flying Finn’s final season.
Volunteer marshals are vital in ensuring the safe and effective running of events all over the country, whilst getting close to the action. The vibrant community dedicate hours of their time at a wide range of events from circuit racing and Rally to sprints and Hillclimbs. Many marshals at this year’s British Grand Prix will have started out at grassroots events.
The role involves a wide range of essential duties to help events to run safely and effectively, from clearing debris and managing spectators to operating a start, finish line or assembly area. Being a marshal affords you one of the best seats in the house and the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes at all championships and events – including Formula 1, World Endurance Championship or the World Rally Championship.
Find out more about volunteering in motorsport here.