Our headset crackles as the first radio message heralds the start of activity. "30 seconds", a voice on the other end says, before the start of the practice session is accompanied by "Cars on track". It's Friday afternoon in the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, and we are standing on the outside at Turn 5 as cars start streaming by.
"We" means ourselves and over a dozen officials donning orange overalls. These marshals are the lifeblood of motor racing, volunteers without whom not a single grand prix on the F1 calendar could take place.
The roughly 1,100 marshals deployed in Singapore, a higher number than most races, are donning different tabards corresponding with their various roles. Track marshals help clear debris, recovery marshals retrieve stranded cars, and flag marshals operate the various flag and light panels. Unsurprisingly, fire marshals are trained to deal with any fire hazard, while there are also observers who spot any potential hazards. Each individual marshal post or sector is overseen by a sector chief.
Sector 5 is in the experienced hands of Ganesh, 56, who has been performing the role over the past 16 editions. This weekend Ganesh is followed by two "tangos" - trainee sector chiefs who are learning the ropes. Just for Friday practice, yours truly is his third tango.
"We are the eyes and ears of the Clerk of the Course," says Ganesh, who lives in Singapore but hails from Chennai, India. "Race control has camera images, but they also rely on us to inform them of things that happen. If a car hits the wall but is able to continue, is there any damage that may impede the session? It is up to the observers to spot that and then the sector chief communicates that concisely with race control."
"If you prepare for 100 scenarios, it's the 101st that will actually happen"
The skies are ominous, as they often are on a dog day afternoon in sweltering Singapore, but other than a light drizzle, the session is spared of monsoons. It makes for a calm one-hour practice as drivers start exploring the limits of the tight street circuit's confines, edging closer to the wall one inch at a time.
One observer makes race control aware of a stray plastic bottle close to the racing line, but after brief consideration it's not deemed worthy of an intervention. The smoking brakes on Alex Albon's Williams have also not gone unnoticed. The incident is flagged up, with fire marshals being placed on standby. As Albon peels back into the Williams garage, they are stood down again.
Turn 5 is known as a high-impact area, a significant braking zone with a run-off area that cars, who miss their marks, may peel into. That means the station is staffed with 18 marshals, more than usual, with a mix of highly experienced marshals guiding newer ones.
Unlike what people may think, a smooth FP1 shows marshalling isn't always an all-action gig. But it's about being alert and well trained to handle whatever a session throws at you. "A street circuit is unique because anything can happen. If you prepare for 100 scenarios, it's the 101st scenario that will actually happen," Ganesh says.
"I was stationed at the final corner when Lance Stroll suffered a crash in 2023 qualifying. We weren't expecting a crash in that corner, and suddenly there was this explosion of noise. It just shows that you always have to be ready.
"As a marshal you make a lot of judgement calls. It won't always be perfect. And no two incidents are ever the same. After the weekend we always reflect on the good things, but also on what could have gone better."
Ganesh is in charge of a diverse group of colleagues hailing from all corners of the world. As a small island state with little in the way of motorsport activity, and a circuit that is only used once a year, Singapore marshals receive extra classroom training and safety briefings before the event, and more than other events they are relying on experienced hands from all around the globe to fill all roles.
Marshals are provided training through their local ASNs or motorsports authorities, with many starting out on a grassroots level before working their way up the motorsport ladder.
"My first grand prix was Silverstone back at home, and I've also done Miami and Abu Dhabi," says Sophia, 30, who has flown out from the United Kingdom for her first Singapore GP. Sophia has been marshalling for nine years after being introduced to it by a mutual friend at university, starting in the UK racing scene before working in Formula E and F1. "I've already signed up for Melbourne next year as well. I'm trying to tick off all the races I loved watching as a kid," she smiles.
Almost anyone can become a marshal, but that doesn't mean becoming a marshal is for everyone. Beyond the volunteering nature, which means travelling to international events comes at a considerable personal cost, working days can be long and gruelling. At Singapore's night race, marshals face a call time of 10:45am and are on their feet until action finishes at 11:00pm.
Serious accidents are thankfully rare, but Liam Lawson's close encounter with two track marshals at the most recent Mexico Grand Prix shows the job doesn't come without risk, just like motorsport in general. That incident is still being investigated at the time of writing.
The cost factor also applies to travelling F1 fans, so being a marshal is still the best ticket in the house for those who are serious about wanting to roll up their sleeves. However, it's not just being close to the action that appeals. The one element that keeps coming back is the sense of camaraderie among the marshal community.
"When I started I just fell in love with it," Sophia adds. "There is also a real sense of family in the marshalling community. You're working together for four long days on the same marshal post, so you really get to know each other and make friends."
How F1's boom made the marshalling community more diverse
One thing immediately struck Sophia as she started marshalling at club level and at British Touring Car Championship rounds. As a female of South Asian descent, there was nobody else that looked quite like her.
"I was the only Asian female marshal in the UK. The lack of representation was pretty frustrating and shocking," Sophia explains. "Thankfully, a lot has changed since then. Motorsport UK has done a lot of work with its community events, and so did the FIA with its Girls on Track programme. Lewis Hamilton has also been a huge support through Mission 44.
"It's been great to spread awareness and show people from diverse backgrounds what it's like to be a marshal, and show that they can also become one. We have come a long way. If you had told me five years ago I would be marshalling here in Singapore, I would have said: 'No way'. Eventually I would love to become a post chief!"
That demographic trend mirrors F1 fandom as a whole in the wake of Netflix hit Drive to Survive, and F1's popularity boom has also done wonders to solve volunteer shortages at local level. "Right until the pandemic we were short on people," says Dom from Australia, who operates the flags. At the age of 71, Dom shows it's never too late to get involved. Hailing from Melbourne, he started flagging after his retirement at 65, and has been a sector marshal for six years.
"Most of us would be a bit older as well, and would look a lot like me," he adds. 'But since Drive to Survive, we have had hundreds of applications in Victoria where I am usually working. It's great to see young people find their way to marshalling. They bring a lot of energy and passion to the community."
Dom and I look on as fellow Melburnian Oscar Piastri keeps testing the limits of the Turn 5 exit wall, with the championship contender sliding to keep his McLaren out of the barriers. Eventually, the marshals won't have to intervene as Fernando Alonso goes fastest for Aston Martin before FP1 comes to a close.
When I ask flagman Dom what constitutes a good weekend, beyond a safe event, he replies: "When you've been able to work with interesting and competent people, and when you have had a good time and forged friendships."
F1 race director Rui Marques on what makes a good marshal
F1 race director Rui Marques is the best example of how becoming a marshal can also lead to a wider career in motorsport. Hailing from Portugal, Marques started out as a marshal at his local Estoril track and has since worked stints as a scrutineer, steward and then race director across almost all of the FIA's major championships before he received the call from F1 before last year's Las Vegas Grand Prix.
"I was waiting to turn 18 to become a marshal," Marques tells Autosport. "What I found is a family, wherever you go around the world. I always try to make time and meet with our marshals. Our sport is based a lot on volunteers, so thanking them for their big efforts is the minimum we can do. It's also useful to collect their comments."
What makes a good motorsport marshal in Marques' book? "Someone who is prepared for action," he says. "Normally, during a weekend they will only have to intervene once or twice. But they need to be ready, understand the procedures and be well trained, which is done by the federations and local clubs. The more you train, the better ready you are for whenever you need to act.
"It's all about the passion for the sport. We have colleagues with us in race control, like the F2 and F3 deputies Paul [Burns] and Emily [Billingham], who still volunteer as marshals when they have time. If you ask me, I would love to go on track and stay at a post, but it's tricky to find the time now."
Marques has also witnessed the welcome trend of F1's marshalling corps becoming younger in recent years. "Yes, in Europe the age of the volunteers was getting higher and higher," he says. "Don't get me wrong, we want and respect everyone. Some of them have 30 years of experience, which is also important. But we can now see more younger people arriving, which is really good."
This year the FIA set up a new Officials Department to further centralise and enhance the level of training for the likes of stewards, marshals and race directors. The governing body proclaimed October as 'Volunteers and Official Month' to celebrate its "unsung heroes" through various events and awards.
"Good job, sector 16"
FP2 action gets underway with a procedure that sounds familiar by now. Following a two-minute lull, race control's radio operator checks in: "Cars on track."
Unlike first practice, this night-time session throws a few curveballs the officials' way. Sector 16, stationed at the other side of the circuit to where we are standing, is pressed into action when George Russell tags the wall and sheds his front wing. Dom gets the sign to brandish the red flag.
When it is safe to do so, race control sends two recovery vehicles out on the track to re-align the TecPro barriers. After the clean-up job, sector 16 gets the thumbs-up. "Race control to 16, this is a message from the Clerk of the Course. Good job!"
For all the other officials, it's an opportunity to drink - it is still very hot despite the time - and stand by for the restart. I briefly chat to Pei, 37, a female marshal from neighbouring Malaysia, who also grew up with F1 and controls the light panels.
The red flag is waved again soon after, this time for Lawson's crash at the penultimate turn, with debris lining the entire corner. After waiting for the last car to enter the pits, sectors 17 to 19 are scrambling their track marshals to collect the debris as quickly as possible. "Brooms out," is the call. "I need some urgency from your team".
The marshals comply and are able to clear the track in time for the final stretch of green flag running until the chequered flag procedure is being unrolled. "One minute. Radio silence, finish on standby. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, chequered flag."
Motorsport is more than just F1
F1 may be motorsport's glamorous looking pinnacle, but it is not the be all and end all. Becoming a marshal at local level is not only an important training step, but for many it can also be a final destination in itself. Working at local events is inherently much cheaper, and due to the lower number of marshals required, the job can become much more hands-on than the stricter top-down approach in F1.
Some of the finest and most experienced marshals may not operate in F1 and have little desire to. At the end of the day, racing is racing.
"It's good that people are not only considering F1," nods Marques. "If you start with F1 - which a lot of people do and they do it very well - you live in a bubble of equipment and standards, and you don't see there are other realities. At club racing, you don't always have the latest technology or GPS, and it's good to learn how to work without it. Every category demands different things."
Regardless of the series, after a day in their footsteps our respect for the marshal community has only grown and the camaraderie they all speak about is palpable. This is not a group of individuals, but a travelling family from all ages, genders, and backgrounds, whose members all depend on each other to keep everyone safe. The drivers, the spectators, and each other.
If you are keen to join in too, reach out to your local club or circuit and register with your country's national motorsport association to start training for your volunteer journey.
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