They got as close to F1 as they could

Racing cars screamed by in a blur of livery at the Buddh International Circuit, Gurgaon, recently. And closest to the action, with a view no Rs. 35,000 ticket could buy, was a lucky group of Bangaloreans. This handful of motorsports enthusiasts from the city were among the 600 first-time marshals selected to ensure that the first Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix went off safely and smoothly.

Positioned at 31 points around the circuit, the bright orange-clad volunteers had the important and risky job of keeping a constant eye on the track, waving the right flags, being ready for fires, accidents and debris on track, and doing their best to ensure no incident stopped the race.

Their experience? “In a few words: awesome, awesome and awesome,” says Nandeesh Kumar J.N., a network engineer. “When the first car went past, I felt the vibrations from head to toe.” He was stationed at turn 3, just before the section where the cars hit speeds of over 300 kmph.

“I don't know how the one hour and 38 minutes of the race passed,” says M. Srinivas, known as Motoport Seena, for a small garage or ‘motoport' he once ran at Ketmanahalli here. “The ears, nose, everything shake when the cars go past!” A senior marshal at the second-last corner of the 5.1-km track, he says he got a thrill from hearing the distinct sound of the V8 engines, a sound that often exceeds 120dB.

How they got there

Motorsports clubs in the country invited applications for the posts of marshal a few months ago or chose from licensed officials. Those selected spent 10 days at Gurgaon, including training and four days of races (support races, practice sessions and main race), often leaving their hotels at 5 a.m. and staying on track till 7 p.m. They worked as volunteers, with only their food and stay covered.

As scrutineer for the Federation of Motorsports Clubs in India for two and four-wheelers (he checks vehicles before races), Mr. Srinivas has officiated at rallies and dirt track races for over 20 years. Mr. Kumar is a hobbyist photographer at rallies.

Despite being provided safety gear, they say they were well aware of the danger involved in standing so close to the speeding cars. Luckily the race was mostly incident-free — except for Rupesh B. Chandrashekara, a former Indian National Rally Championship winner (motorbike), who was at a vantage spot to witness — and report to race control — the Filipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton accident.

These marshals hope the success of the Grand Prix will encourage sponsors, lead to government support and better organisation of all motorsports events in India.

While admitting that racing is a “rich man's sport”, Mr. Srinivas encourages interested youngsters to get involved as marshals, navigators and on the technical side, roles that are high on passion and low on investment.

Safety first

He is at pains to add: “Those into drag races and wheelies are not real racers. Put them on a track and they won't get close enough to get [a whiff of the exhaust] of the racer in front of them.”

All three of them speak with pride of being “part of an event watched by millions”. “F1 overtook Commonwealth Games and proved what we can do,” said Mr. Srinivas. “The best moment was hearing the national anthem. Next we should hear the anthem [for a driver] on the podium.”