It’s the start of the second ever FIA Volunteers and Officials Month – so we asked some UK volunteers what made them start their volunteering journey.
Being close to the action. Meeting drivers. Checking out the machinery. And being part of a welcoming family. These are some of the main reasons why volunteer officials clock in at events all around the country. There are more than 300,000 volunteers around the world supporting 60,000+ motorsport events – and the UK teams are recognised as some of the most skilled, experienced and friendliest of the bunch.
Flag marshals, scrutineers, race directors, medical and rescue crews, every individual plays a vital role in making racing, rallying, hill climbing and all the other events happen – and there’s a different experience for everyone.
Tony – ‘It’s a good laugh’
“I started competing in motorsport when I started to drive, but 20 years ago I had a medical problem and I had to stop. I did an evening course and I’ve done this ever since. It’s a good laugh on post. There’s never a quiet moment – there may be a quiet moment on track, but there’s never a quiet moment when you’re actually marshalling!”
Yasmin – ‘You find your purpose’
“I had been a motorsport fan for years and had always considered being at the track up close as something I really wanted to do, but that wasn’t for me because of my mobility issues. Last year, I was at a Driven By Us charity event and one of the panellists told me there were things I could do even with the challenges I had, so I created an account on Motorsport UK, took the test and was registered. It still took quite a while to get the courage to go onto track but I attended my first taster day in April and I was hooked. The important thing with volunteering is to make sure you find something that you’re passionate about, what really pushes you forward or what is a missing element of your life. The worst that can happen is you find you don’t like it – the best is you find your purpose.”
Andy – ‘Everyone is so open’
“I’d been coming to the track for years, watching the sport with my parents and I just thought one day, it looks fun, I’ll give it a go. It really took me by surprise, everyone was just so open, welcome, full of advice, so you never have anything to worry about. It’s fast, close to the action and there’s a really friendly group of people.”
Jeanette – ‘Sometimes you have to pinch yourself’
“There are so many different volunteering roles you can do – scrutineering, flagging, incident, startline – there’s something for everybody. I’ve been marshalling since 2007 and since 2014, I’ve been on the US grid team. I’ve done almost 40 F1 races now! It’s been a real journey, and it’s a privilege. You sometimes have to pinch yourself. When I was standing on the grid in Miami and I was with Franco Colopinto at P8, there was a B2 stealth bomber flying over, and I just thought ‘how did I end up here?’”
Josh – ‘You get so close to the racing’
“I was at the Touring Cars and there was a British Motorsport Marshals Club recruitment tent in the infield. I got chatting with them and signed up for a Taster Day. You get half the day going around the circuit, visiting race control, timekeepers, scrutineering, the medical centre, and then spend the afternoon with other marshals. I love that you get so close to the racing, so close to the drivers and all the teams.”
Lisa – ‘You make so many friends’
“My grandparents ran the marshalling newsletter and my uncle was a Clerk of the Course, so I signed up when I was eight, when there were no limits on age. I stopped when I was 23 to have children and came back eight years ago. Two of my daughters were cadets, so at one point we had four generations of marshals! Once you get to know people, you make so many friends and you also feel like you’ve contributed something.”
Ian – ‘You get the best seat in the house…and free entry!’
“I used to come and watch the Touring Cars at Olton Park and I always said, let’s go and get involved, but for years and years and years I never did. Eventually I went to the volunteers’ tent and signed up for a taster day and I’ve been doing it ever since. It’s so enjoyable. You get the best seat in the house – and you get free entry!”
To find out how to start your own motorsport volunteering journey, visit our Get Started website.