SilverstoneAn introduction

Marshalling at

Motor sport events at Silverstone need volunteers to ensure that they run smoothly and safely. Whether it’s a Grand Prix or a club-level meeting, marshals are a vital part of the pits, paddock and trackside team.

To organise any race event requires a small army of volunteers, usually many more than the number of competitors! These volunteers carry out a wide range of duties, all of which contribute to the overall efficiency and success of the event.

As a marshal, you will be joining a band of enthusiasts who enjoy their motor sport and through active marshalling clubs, an interesting social life.

To find out more about volunteering, marshalling and what marshalling is all about, read on...

Contents– A short introduction to Marshalling – Training– Marshalling at Silverstone– Volunteering– Arriving at sign-on and on post– What to bring and wear on the day– Grading – why is there a grading system?– Race day – what to do?– During sessions– Joining the Silverstone Marshals Team

A short introduction to marshalling

– When you marshal at Silverstone, you can gain skills and experience that will open up many exciting roles and opportunities for you.

– You would usually start as a track based marshal to learn basic “track-craft” skills (including fire fighting).

– Once you have experience and relevant training, the following are just a few of the roles available to you;

01 Incident marshalling – dealing with incidents and safety rapidly.

02 Flag marshalling – communicating risk, hazards, etc, quickly and efficiently to drivers.

03 Assembly/Paddock – ensuring the correct drivers get safely and efficiently out on the circuit to practice/race.

04 Start-line – ensuring the safety of the grid and correct positioning of cars.

05 Plus many others – Rescue, Recovery, Pits, etc.

– All of these roles are key to run a safe and efficient race meeting – and covered by volunteer marshals!

You can volunteer for as many race meets at as many different circuits as you wish.

Silverstone runs the Silverstone Marshals Team where members can volunteer for most of the events at Silverstone (special rules apply for the Grand Prix and MotoGP).

Below are a couple of points to remember:– Keep a diary of which meetings

you have volunteered for.– Don’t just volunteer for everything at the

start of the season, only for the dates you can make. You can add extras later.

– If a race meet is over a weekend you don’t need to be able to make the whole weekend to volunteer; just put your name forward for the day/s you can do.

– If you can’t attend a meeting you have volunteered for please let Penny know as soon as you can.

– Don’t volunteer more than once for a meeting, or for more than one meeting on the same day.

Marshalling at Silverstone

Volunteering

Training forms a critical part of your development as a marshal, both in terms of developing your skills and in enabling you to progress through the grading scheme.

During the year there will be a number of training events organised by the Silverstone Marshals Team (and other clubs) to help you develop. These training sessions are a combination of classroom and practical sessions designed to guide you through the basics of marshalling and continue your marshalling career as your skills and experience grow.

Training and development however, is not restricted to specific training courses, it should happen every time you marshal. “On the job” training and development starts on your first day marshalling and should continue throughout your marshalling career. On your first day when you get to your post you should be assigned with a “buddy” who will provide an insight to marshalling and support and guidance in terms of the “do’s and don’ts”. This support will evolve as your experience grows.

01 Make sure you read any instructions sent to you well in advance.

02 Check you have correct tickets or passes.

03 Make sure you know where the sign-on is going to be and what time you need to arrive.

You’ve volunteered, now what?

Training

i

01 Let the sign-on people know it is your first day.

02 You will be allocated a post for the day. If you are not sure where the post is, please ask.

03 Leave sign-on in plenty of time to reach your post.

04 Drive carefully – the circuit’s internal roads have a speed limit of 20mph and even though it is early, people will still be on site.

05 Park in a safe place – if you are not sure then ask.

06 Sign-on at the post with your Incident Officer and Post Chief – let them know your level of experience.

07 Help set up the post as instructed.

*Not recognised at all circuits

Incident Teams

Post Chief

Flags Incident Officer*

Trainee

Track

Experienced

Trainee

Track

Experienced

Trainee

Track

Experienced

Each post has a number of marshals – this will vary depending on how many marshals are at the event, and where the post is on the track. The hierarchy of the post is shown below.

Marshals’ post – who’s in charge

Arriving at sign-on and on post

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As you will have seen from the television most marshals wear overalls. However overalls can be expensive so don’t feel you have to run out and buy a set for your first time. Please come along to a couple of meetings to see if marshalling is for you before you make any kind of investment.

Below is a guide of what to wear:– Natural fibres.– Always cover your arms.– Loose fitting gloves.– Stout boots.– Wear colours that don’t clash with

the flags, i.e. Do not wear yellow, red and light blue.

What else to bring?– Waterproofs.– A hat – for hot and cold weather.– Plenty of food – don’t rely on being

able to buy on site.– Plenty to drink – hot and cold

but NO alcohol.– Ear plugs or ear defenders (optional).– Sun cream.– Layers of clothes.

– It acknowledges a marshal’s experience.– Provides a structure for gaining new skills.– Helps the chief marshals to allocate

marshals to suitable jobs.

Opposite is an overview of how the upgrade system works. You start at the bottom as a trainee marshal. You will receive a card from the MSA upon joining on which you can collect signatures in order to get you to the next grade. MSA forms are available from the club or at the MSA website under officials.

Most people work for the track marshal grade first, as this covers all basic skills and knowledge. Then think about specialist grades such as pits etc, however most grades will have trainee spaces available.

What to bring and wear on the day

Grading – why is there a grading system?

– Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get to the track.

– Sign-on time is between 7.30am and 8.15am in the Paddock Diner unless otherwise notified.

For reference on how to find your way on the day, please refer to the map on the back page.

Race day – what to do?

Penny Norris Telephone 01327 320295E-mail penny.norris@silverstone.co.uk

For further information please contact:

i

Flag Marshal10 days as Flag plus 1 Training (Flag, Report Writing, Communication and Leadership)

Incident Officer10 days as I/O plus 1 Training (Fire, I/O, Report Writing, Communication and Leadership)

Examining Post Chief/Observer10 days as Post Chief plus 2 training (Fire, Flag, I/O, Report Writing, Communication and Leadership)

Post Chief/Observer10 days as Post Chief plus 2 training (Fire, Flag, I/O, Report Writing, Communication and Leadership)

Track Marshal10 days Flag and Track Duties plus 1 training plus 2 on Post Assessments (Incident and Flag)

Trainee Marshal

Experienced Marshal15 days combined Flag and Incident Duties (min 5 days on one, 10 on the other) plus training (Flag, Incident, Fire, First On Scene) plus 2 on Post Assessments (Incident and Flag)

Upgrading to Examining Post Chief/Observer requires club nomination and MSA approval

Note:

Each upgrade requires at least one assessment by an Examining Post Chief.

To maintain a grade needs 4 days per annum plus 1 Training day bi-annually.

Upgrade system chart

The following are some basic “do’s and don’ts” in terms of what to do during sessions:Do– Stay alert– Watch the race traffic– Look for problems; 01 Loose bodywork 02 Spillages 03 Falling objects 04 Driver behaviour 05 Spectators 06 MediaDon’t– Smoke– Use your mobile– Sit or kneel– Stand in large groups– Stand with your back to the traffic

Having completed your first days marshalling we hope you will be hooked and want to do more!

If you would like to join the Silverstone Marshals Team, volunteer for meetings, attend training or have any questions or comments, please contact:Penny NorrisMarshals and Events AdministratorSilverstone CircuitTowcesterNorthamptonshireNN12 8TNTelephone 01327 320295Mobile 07764 177136E-mail penny.norris@silverstone.co.uk

Marshalling at Silverstone – An Introduction

SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT, TOWCESTER NORTHAMPTONSHIRE NN12 8TNTELEPHONE 0844 3728 230 WWW.SILVERSTONE.CO.UK

Joining the Silverstone Marshals Team

During sessions

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PITS & PADDOCK

COPSEBROOKLANDS

SUITES

PADDOCKSUITES

BRDCCLUBHOUSE

BRDC FARM

COPSETUNNEL

WEST 5 ENTRANCE

PADDOCK CAFE