Marshal facilities at other GPs apart from Britain

[Steven Humphrey]

Hi all

I was just wondering what the facilities for marshals are like at other GPs, apart from Silverstone? I don't want to start an anti-Silverstone thread, I'm just genuinely interested as to what marshal's campsites, circuit posts, 'goodies' etc are like at circuits around the world.

[The Fat Clerk]

In Canada we stayed in the Students accomadation in the City University, we had to pay but it was very cheap, we also paid for the train to the circuit each day, and the race programme.
On the free side, we got breakfast, lunch & evening meal (with beer) provided, along with an event Polo Shirt (which fitted!)

[TrueBlueFlyer]

As mentioned above, Canada recommended a local dormitory for local accommodation for visitors. Breakfast in a form of coffee + donuts was provided. Lunch was delivered to station and buffet dinner provided at the mustering area.

Australia and Singapore were a similar situation, except lunches were distributed first thing in the morning on sign-on. There wasn't a dinner until Sunday night where it was a big buffet after race celebration.

Malaysia provided on site facilities for workers and a nice three star hotel nearby for senior officials. Food was delivered to station and was by far the most delicious food I've had at a Formula 1 event

Looking forward to the United States GP. They already sent out e-mails with recommendations for local hotels which are your own responsibility. We are advised that lunches will be provided.

[TrueBlueFlyer]

I'm also curious to know which countries provide overalls/coveralls? As well as perhaps rain gear? It seems most people wore matching hi-viz rain gear in Britain, were you guys issued them or everyone owns their own?

So far I've gotten 3 pairs of overalls in Singapore, 1 pair in Australia, 1 pair in Malaysia (they even had wet weather gear, but it seemed ridiculously small for my physique... lol). Nothing was issued in Canada. US has promised a pair of coveralls.

[chezza]

We all own our rain gear, its a necessity over here and they're all of similar make up, although come from many suppliers.

We also have to purchase our overalls, although with many of the clubs there is a discount scheme or you are refunded the money once you have done a certain number of meetings.

In Abu Dhabi everything was supplied, overalls, breakfast, lunch, dinner and accommodation, but I'm not sure if that was a one off for the visiting marshals.

[TrueBlueFlyer]

Originally Posted by chezza

In Abu Dhabi everything was supplied, overalls, breakfast, lunch, dinner and accommodation, but I'm not sure if that was a one off for the visiting marshals.

This is the first GP I have been rejected for. I guess they're trying to cut down on visiting marshals.

[chezza]

We were all invited over for the first one, but that was the only one we went over en masse. There are groups that have been over for others, but they sort that out as individuals.

[Steven Humphrey]

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

I'm also curious to know which countries provide overalls/coveralls? As well as perhaps rain gear? It seems most people wore matching hi-viz rain gear in Britain, were you guys issued them or everyone owns their own?

Waterproofs are all our own. Most people buy trousers & jackets from work-wear suppliers, at about £30 a set, and all are quite similar in design. As for overalls - there are good schemes through the various marshal clubs to offer subsidies. For example, BMMC members can get about £40 back on a set of AWS probans, which cost about £60, if I remember correctly. Silverstone Marshal's Team provide overalls for £50, then refund this after 10 days of marshalling there. I think the bike marshals get free overalls when they do their training. But nothing from the GP organisers, apart from a baseball cap from Silverstone.

[FRENCHIE44T]

Originally Posted by chezza

In Abu Dhabi everything was supplied, overalls, breakfast, lunch, dinner and accommodation, but I'm not sure if that was a one off for the visiting marshals.

Yes, but when we went back in begining of 2010, I went for FIA GT1's we took our own overalls

[TrueBlueFlyer]

Originally Posted by Steven Humphrey

As for overalls - there are good schemes through the various marshal clubs to offer subsidies. For example, BMMC members can get about £40 back on a set of AWS probans, which cost about £60, if I remember correctly. Silverstone Marshal's Team provide overalls for £50, then refund this after 10 days of marshalling there.

I haven't heard of anything similar for SCCA in the US. Either way I paid for all my whites out of my own pocket... 4 pairs of pants, shirts, under-shirts, jacket, etc. I even got a pair of orange pants + shirt though I'm not so sure its acceptable to marshal in Europe with a two piece vs. overalls. Can anyone confirm? I guess its easier to travel across international borders with pants and shirts vs. a set of overalls which would clearly be interpreted as a working uniform.

[PVDA]

As mentioned in a prior post Australia provides a pair of polyester coveralls which you are expected to hand in on sunday night meaning you wont get it back the following year (most of us hang on to them so we know they will fit next year), also note the coveralls are the same one's since the first albert Park GP way back in 1996.

A basic lunch of questionable quality is provided at the start of the day (mid morning due to the Twilight race time).

Portaloos are provided close to most posts or we can get to public ones, most posts have a 3m x 3m tent for cover and bag storage and a large plastic tarp is provided to make our own shade over the post. Some of the marshals engineering that goes into stringing the tarps up is impressive, I carry cable ties and duct tape in my race bag for this very purpose! !

Being a street circuit we are usually standing on grass or bitumen but if it gets boggy they can get some wood chips delivered in a couple of hours.

There is no camping on site but we are allocated a reasonable number of parking spaces to be able to drive in but because of the later start we do have to travel in in peak hour on Thursday and Friday.

[Norbert]

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

I even got a pair of orange pants + shirt though I'm not so sure its acceptable to marshal in Europe with a two piece vs. overalls. Can anyone confirm?

Two-peice 'overalls' are perfectly acceptable.

[Mike Kelly 1]

Not a Formula 1 GP but i attended the Indy car Grand Prix of Long Beach last year. Each morning all the marshals aka "corner workers" had coffee and doughnuts (donuts) provided for breakfast. A packed lunch was also provided for each day. On the Friday evening we had pizzas, LOTS of pizzas!, provided at sign on after the racing had finished. Saturday evening was a BBQ. No ropey Walmart burgers though, we had tri tip steaks and salad, fantastic . There was also plenty of free bottled water available on post. Each post also had a portloo, just as well with all the free water. All of the food and drink was provided free of charge. The corner workers were also given a sew on patch of the event. All the visiting Brits got at least one cap and most of us also somehow won an item of clothing (donated by teams or race series) in the raffle.

[Peter Scillitoe]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly 1

Not a Formula 1 GP but i attended the Indy car Grand Prix of Long Beach last year. Each morning all the marshals aka "corner workers" had coffee and doughnuts (donuts) provided for breakfast. A packed lunch was also provided for each day. On the Friday evening we had pizzas, LOTS of pizzas!, provided at sign on after the racing had finished. Saturday evening was a BBQ. No ropey Walmart burgers though, we had tri tip steaks and salad, fantastic . There was also plenty of free bottled water available on post. Each post also had a portloo, just as well with all the free water. All of the food and drink was provided free of charge. The corner workers were also given a sew on patch of the event. All the visiting Brits got at least one cap and most of us also somehow won an item of clothing (donated by teams or race series) in the raffle.

Plus a Corner Workers social evening on the Thursday in a brew pub in the centre of town. Used to be free, but now 5$ a head. Unlimited real ale and hot nibbles. Still very good value (unless, of course, you are TT and/or a vegetarian). Senior Indy Racing and ALMS officials attend, and mingle freely. Great chance to meet old friends and make new ones. Also, in the area of town where LB have motor sport displays, live music, general race related festivities, etc, so you can take that all in as well.

[deadsquirrel]

I was always under the impression that the FIA (or insert name of suitable organisor/promoter etc) provided an amount of money per marshal.

I heard a bit of information that most of the money is 'held back' for training - in other countries maybe the money is spent entirely for the event?

So, imagine an amount is taken for our
parking/camping
party
commemoritive item (hat)
the expenses payment (£5 per day).

[Mike Kelly 1]

Originally Posted by deadsquirrel

ISo, imagine an amount is taken for the expenses payment (£5 per day).

The first British Grand Prix that i marshalled at was in 1998 where we were given the princely sum of £5 a day. Compare that to this years amount of ....... £5 per day! In the time between attending my first Grand Prix and this years event the price of unleaded petrol has risen from £0.77 per litre to £1.27 a litre! Surely the time has come to see some sort of rise in the allowance.

Just to compare things. At the Nurburgring 24 hours in 2005 we were given 155 Euros for marshalling all 4 days, this year we received 185 Euros! Comparisons anyone?

[Chris Hobson]

Any and all info posted on this thread will be gratefully received by the Marshal's club.

We are currently involved in a dialogue with the organisers of the GP to try and improve the recognition given to all marshals working at the event. This is also tied into the work we are doing to try and improve retention in all disciplines of the sport. Anything we achieve will benefit all marshals, not just the members of our club. In fact this is a constant agenda item on the Marshal's Working Group that i chair at the MSA.

George Copeland is co-ordinating our research so please contact him if there is something you want to say but prefer for it not to be in "public forum", or, obviously, post your comments on this thread - either way we will collate, review and use your opinions as we move forward.

Keep up the good work. I know marshalling at the GP is recognition enough for many, but, if we can improve things in any way, then let's give it our best shot.

[vintage]

yes the governing body is paid 150euros for all the marshals at Silverstone. I was once told it paid for the camp site and administration. Well if this is so why do I get 150 Euros when I go to Hockenheim and get this amount also for the DTM. Also what gets me is that the crowd control marshals are on £6 an hour. Because we are volunteers we have no come back. Yet when we do track days we get £50. I think it is time to get it sorted.

[Woolley]

I did Champ Car at Surfer's Paradise in 2005, so an equivalent type of event.

Two branded shirts were provided at sign on, along with a baseball cap, programme, poncho and lanyard. A commemerative badge was supplied after the event.
Breakfast (McDonalds roll) and sandwiches were provided each day.
Free bus travel was given, although the start time meant that there weren't any buses in that I could catch that early. Return bus was welcome, though.
Water was provided at regular intervals, an ice bucket (½ oil drum) was also topped up a couple of times during the day with fresh ice deliveries.
A marshals' party took place after the event but due to onward travel I couldn't attend so I don't know what was provided at the party.

A tarpaulin was provided for cover. At most posts this was attached between the catch fencing and the spectator fence. However, being on the end of the pit lane with no fence behind we had to be very creative when the rainstorm came in, using brooms, bits of rope we found under the grandstand and various other things found or borrowed. When we got the construction solidly in place Newman Haas behind us were moved to give us a round of applause!

[chezza]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly 1

The first British Grand Prix that i marshalled at was in 1998 where we were given the princely sum of £5 a day. Compare that to this years amount of ....... £5 per day!

Whilst most of us don't marshal for the money and just being at the GP is enough, the £5 for sustenance is gratefully received, these days it won't buy you a breakfast roll (I know that one of the posts negotiated these from £6 to £4, they also managed to negotiate tea and coffee from £2 to £1, so they could get their breakfast for £5, but not all vendors are willing to do that). Whilst we're all used to taking our own food on to post with us it can be tricky if you don't have refrigeration on the campsite and so it is nice to supplement your supplies with something fresh, but with the extortionate prices that the vendors charge for what is often poor quality food its difficult on the £5 your given. It would nice to see this increased to reflect the increased costs that we see.

[Mike Kelly 1]

Originally Posted by chezza

Whilst most of us don't marshal for the money and just being at the GP is enough, the £5 for sustenance is gratefully received, these days it won't buy you a breakfast roll (I know that one of the posts negotiated these from £6 to £4, they also managed to negotiate tea and coffee from £2 to £1, so they could get their breakfast for £5, but not all vendors are willing to do that).

I too do not marshal for the money, its all about enjoying my favourite sport amongst like minded people.

I have just tried using an inflation calculator on the internet to see what £5 in 1998 is worth today and how much we would have to receive today in order to be equivalent to £5 in 1998. Quite interesting results. £5 in 1998 is worth £3.50 today. The equivalent of £5 in 1998 is £8 today! George, over to you!

[SouthportFC Fan]

I had three Belgian marshals on my post at the 2010 GP. They were also in attendance this year.

They told me that at Spa, they don't get anything in the way of facilities. No campsite, no nothing. They didn't say if they got the all of the money though.

[blueoval2]

Even if we where given food and drink vouchers to be redeemed at on site outlets. It's not the money we all enjoy doing it, disspite the mud!

[Mike Kelly 1]

Originally Posted by SouthportFC Fan

I had three Belgian marshals on my post at the 2010 GP. They were also in attendance this year.

They told me that at Spa, they don't get anything in the way of facilities. No campsite, no nothing. They didn't say if they got the all of the money though.

Thats strange, because i've marshalled at Spa and there is a marshals campsite. Its within the circuit boundary between les Combes and Bruxelles corners, on the drivers left. Top of the hill, fantastic views.

[Wet marshal]

As with most sports events,the "sponsors" are now run by accountants & the freebies are not available bla bla bla.........

When I was a marshal at G.P.'s in the late 70's & 80's we had to make a couple of trips back to the campsite,after signing on, carrying our Hats,brollys,Bags and jackets & T shirts.(All supplied by certain tobacco sponsors)

I even remember the Chief marshal,at Spa & Hockenheim,saying that did i want any "extras" !,in the campsite......................and that was after the crate of beer!

Happy Days