Silverstone

Marshalling at
Silverstone
An introduction
A short introduction
to marshalling
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
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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
Marshalling at
Silverstone
Volunteering
–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;
01Incident marshalling – dealing with
incidents and safety rapidly.
02Flag marshalling – communicating
risk, hazards, etc, quickly and
efficiently to drivers.
03Assembly/Paddock – ensuring
the correct drivers get safely and
efficiently out on the circuit to
practice/race.
04Start-line – ensuring the safety of the
grid and correct positioning of cars.
05Plus 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.
Training
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.
You’ve volunteered,
now what?
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01Make sure you read any instructions
sent to you well in advance.
02Check you have correct tickets
or passes.
03Make sure you know where the
sign-on is going to be and what
time you need to arrive.
Arriving at sign-on
and on post
01Let the sign-on people know it is your
first day.
02You will be allocated a post for the day.
If you are not sure where the post is,
please ask.
03Leave sign-on in plenty of time to
reach your post.
04Drive carefully – the circuit’s internal
roads have a speed limit of 20mph
and even though it is early, people will
still be on site.
05Park in a safe place – if you are not
sure then ask.
06Sign-on at the post with your Incident
Officer and Post Chief – let them know
your level of experience.
07Help set up the post as instructed.
Marshals’ post –
who’s in charge
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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.
Post Chief
Incident Officer*
Flags
Incident Teams
Experienced
Experienced
Experienced
Track
Track
Track
Trainee
Trainee
Trainee
*Not recognised at all circuits
What to bring and
wear on the day
Grading – why is there
a grading system?
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.
–It acknowledges a marshal’s experience.
–Provides a structure for gaining new skills.
–Helps the chief marshals to allocate
marshals to suitable jobs.
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.
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.
Race day – what to do?
– 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.
Upgrade system chart
Examining Post Chief/Observer
10 days as Post Chief plus 2 training (Fire, Flag, I/O,
Report Writing, Communication and Leadership)
Upgrading to Examining
Post Chief/Observer
requires club nomination
and MSA approval
Post Chief/Observer
10 days as Post Chief plus 2 training (Fire, Flag, I/O,
Report Writing, Communication and Leadership)
Incident Officer
Flag Marshal
10 days as I/O plus 1 Training (Fire, I/O, Report
Writing, Communication and Leadership)
10 days as Flag plus 1 Training (Flag, Report
Writing, Communication and Leadership)
Experienced Marshal
15 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)
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.
Track Marshal
10 days Flag and Track Duties plus 1 training plus
2 on Post Assessments (Incident and Flag)
Trainee Marshal
For further information
please contact:
Penny Norris
Telephone 01327 320295
E-mail penny.norris@silverstone.co.uk
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During sessions
Joining the Silverstone
Marshals Team
The following are some basic “do’s
and don’ts” in terms of what to do
during sessions:
If you would like to join the Silverstone
Marshals Team, volunteer for meetings,
attend training or have any questions
or comments, please contact:
Penny Norris
Marshals and Events Administrator
Silverstone Circuit
Towcester
Northamptonshire
NN12 8TN
Telephone 01327 320295
Mobile 07764 177136
E-mail penny.norris@silverstone.co.uk
Do
–Stay alert
–Watch the race traffic
–Look for problems;
01 Loose bodywork
02Spillages
03Falling objects
04 Driver behaviour
05 Spectators
06Media
Don’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!
BRDC FARM
BROOKLANDS
SUITES
PADDOCK
CAFE
PADDOCK
SUITES
BRDC
CLUBHOUSE
DOCK
5
Silverstone Circuit, Towcester
Northamptonshire NN12 8TN
Telephone 0844 3728 230
www.silverstone.co.uk
Marshalling at Silverstone – An Introduction
WEST 5 ENTRANCE