| Re: My Formula 1 Indian GP 2011 Marshalling Experience.
Day 3 after Diwali
27th October we reported at Plumeria early morning and mind you it was a chilly morning .Luckily we were given the jump suits so it was a little better, but as the day progressed the heat got intense and it got pretty hot but we were told to stay hydrated. People from faraway places had stayed on since it was not feasible since we had to report early morning. This just tells us the commitment people made to make this F1 race happen. People left their families just to come to be a part of this event.
Today was an important day, it was the FIA testing day or SHAKEDOWN.
In a shakedown, what happens is that it is a mock drill in which the training of the all the marshals is tested. Like a car would stop and someone would get out of the car and lie on the track indicative of them needing medical attention, another would be a situation in which someone would spill water on the track indicating that there is oil on the track and it needs to be attended to and reported to RACE CONTROL.
The Bahranians told us that today is a day to make mistakes and learn from them so don’t worry about them.
Today was one of the more exciting days since we had been there. All the preparations were made, multiple rounds in various vehicles were made, then came one final and most important round made by the SLS AMG which belongs to BIC, and it was supporting the RED FLAG which was indicative of the track being CLOSED or HOT ie:- the Marshals are the kings now. How? Well our post was to be guarded with our lives now. No one can cross the track, lean against the barriers, photographers are to be kept at bay and not dangerously close no more usage of cell phones and mainly ALL ATTENTION to be paid to the oncoming traffic.
The good thing about our post was that we had a panoramic view of the track we could see the end of the longest straight which would be turn 4 and then 5 and 6 also. 7 and 8 were blind but then 9, 10, 11, 12 then blind at 13 then 14, and finally 15.
The reason why I mentioned all that will be told soon
The track was HOT/CLOSED, there was a brief calm, and then after sometime we could hear a roar of some sort but did not know what it was. We saw some cars coming towards us at with a ROAR frankly I have never heard before. Tires screeching the ROAR got louder and then they popped out in front of FIA’s own safety and medical cars- the SLS AMG and the C 63 AMG. They were going full throttle and showing us how they should be driven. The sound well what can I say it was just unbelievable. The tires being pushed to their limits, leaving their marks on the track, mind you there was no comparison between both of them, in fact the C63 AMG sounded much better and louder, of our course their catalytic converters had been removed so they were even more louder. The SLS was faster through the corners for obvious reasons but other than that, they both were almost neck and neck. They went around the track for half an hour or so and it was absolutely exciting . Tired but experienced the most exciting motorsport day till now we went back at the end of the day and got debriefed and motivated for tomorrow when the support races and of course we were going to see the F1 cars on the track for the first time.
Day 4 – 28th October
We had to wake up at 4 am and get to the track early as the support races the JK racing Asia Series practice and MRF practice series. All preparations were made and for the first time we were going to see cars we only saw on TV. The Formula 4 car drivers, we were told were going to try to push their cars to the limit as they were all trying to get the cut in the bigger league so they had a higher chance of making mistakes. Also the track was dusty due to construction and slippery due to never been used before. Frankly I thought that they would not be that loud so I did not care to wear my ear plugs. The pit light turned green and we could hear them all the way to our posts when they got out of the pits. They too made a sweet sound and as soon as they passed our post I realized that I had made a mistake not to wear the plugs, so I put them on asap.
I think it was lap 3 or 4 and then one of the cars coming out of turn 9 lost its rear end and skidded right across us and into our ZONE. Our alert phase was at our peak and we thought this would be our first recovery. We waited for things to settle and confirmation from race control to go in, but ALAS they have a starter in them so he started his car and went on his way. We were a bit disappointed but relieved too, but we realized that turn 9 is going to be a hot spot for cars to lose their rear. Soon the session ended and it was time for the F1 practice session soon.
All checks done but of all the days we were there we saw no dogs but when the F1 cars were about to come out we had a couple of dogs on track. This was disappointing as the media was there and spectators had started pouring in. Eventually the pit light turned green and the F1 cars entered to track for the first time EVER in India. OMG the sound was just too good. My marshal friend told me that they are at least 4 times louder than the Formula 4 cars, and he was right but before we could hear them as soon as Webber came out of turn 9, guess what DOG ON TRACK again. It was really disappointing how they got there in first place, my guess was the loud sounding engines got them disoriented and they got scared. Anyhow a Bolero was sent on track to catch the dog but to our astonishment it outwitted the Bolero and took a sharp turn into the gravel trap which resulted in the Bolero being caught in the TRAP. I don’t know but it was kind of a blessing in disguise because we had not yet seen recovery vehicles on track but within a flash one of them reached the spot and towed it out within seconds. This was a good experience for all of us at the track. Yes, embarrassing but we got the job done.
Once again the pits turned green and the F1 cars were once again roaring on the track and amazing sound of the F1 cars ruled the track. Little did we know that more action was in store for us, after sometime came Alonso in his Scarlett colored car which sounded a little sick and out of turn 9 and into turn 10 he stopped his car due to some engine problem. Another awesome recovery took place in front of our eyes, within seconds.
Soon afterward coming out of turn 9 then into the barrier right in front of us Alguesuari crashed. He was ok, he got out of the car and walked away and one more time we saw some more action but alas we did not get to recover as he was across the track and out of our jurisdiction. The yellow flags were out and the recovery was made without a glitch.
All in all it was an action packed day. It ended with the MRF practice session which was not very auctioned packed but still exciting as a few cars did lose their rear but recovered.
Day 5 – 29th October
We reached the track early and were all pumped up as we could see that turn 9 will be hot once again. It was time for the JK Racing Asia qualifying session, it went well a few cars somehow managed to glide over the gravel trap adjacent to our post, I guess due to the momentum of the car. It was also interesting to see a woman race among the male dominated sport, and she was fast, you could not tell the difference of who is driving what.
It was interesting to see the amount of people who had come to watch the cars in action on 28th and 29th as they were not Race days. Every marshal regardless of what their duty was had made their posts, their own home and respected the integrity of it. It was an amazing feeling to see all these people who had volunteered and were ready to follow instructions, to stand all day under the sun and undergo the all the dust and sweat. Many people told me that their friends including mine were amazed why we all agreed to do it for FREE. It was not FREE we were paid in kind and love of the sound of the F1 cars that only a motorsport enthusiast could understand.
Yes, when so many people are involved there were a few people who were not happy. Someone I met at the track had come to get the experience so that it would look good in his RESUME. It was a funny thought but I guess it made sense to him. I think out all the people who reached Greater Noida I think 2 -3 people went back for some reason or the other. All in all it was a great event and people learnt from their mistakes. Anyway back to the topic.
Soon the pit light turned green and the F1 cars were roaring on the track, people were clapping shouting holding their ears to the loudness of the cars. That marked the end of the practice sessions and we were in for the MRF Race 1 for the day which also was incident less and lasted for about 30 minutes. Post lunch we were going to have the most exciting part of the day the qualifying session. All was going well until Massa lost his right suspension just before turn 9 and went into the DHL boards at post 18. Once again those guys got all the action as they right in front of us and a successful recovery. I think this was Q3 I believe. A few people did get their Ferrari souvenirs. The session ended and we were waiting for the last race for the day the JK Racing Asia Race 1. The race went well and so the day came to an end. Less than 24 hours left before the start of India’s first ever GP we were given a nice and encouraging debrief. Once again I would like to say that the race would not have gone seamless without the help of the Bahrainians. Training is one thing but having experience of 7 GPs is another. We were sent home early and told to report a little late the next day, properly rested.
30th October – RACE DAY
Today was special for every Indian out there and those who were a part of it will cherish it for the rest of their lives. The heat was building up and so was the anxiety. This was it no more mistakes, not that there were many, NO Retakes, we get one shot to do everything right in the first go as millions of people would be watching how we perform on TV and on track.
We reached the track, cleaned our section of the track, and readied our KERS gloves, fire extinguishers. The track was closed soon and first up was the MRF support Race 2 which was quickly followed by the JK racing Asia Race 2.
It was time for the driver’s parade and we were told to relax and were allowed to pull out our cameras and line up on the track and cheer the F1 Drivers who were going to parade in Classic cars. The maximum cheers happened when people saw Vettel, Schumacher, Karthikeyan, Massa, Sutil and Resta. I was so involved in looking at the drivers that when I was clicking the camera was shaking, some of the photos the drivers faces were missing but still I managed to capture a few. It was a very proud feeling when Webber was holding the Indian Flag and also nice to see the Hamilton had brought his own camera to click his personal pictures.
Now came the time we were all waiting for, I had never stood for so many hours continuously in my life. Yes we were tired, exhausted but this is why we were here, to see the GODS of racing on our track and see them push themselves to the limit. We were told to stand on the edge of the track for one last inspection of all the teams and the FIA SLS AMG came and 2 people got off shaking the hand of the medical staff. It was the F1’s own official doctor on duty. It was such a proud moment for us being greeted like that, being shown the THUMBS UP and people letting us know on the radio, how good we had been doing. The spectators watched us as if we had been doing this for a long time.
The track car came and closed the track and soon it was time for the race to start. The pit light turned green and there were cars on track, everyone got excited to see them as if the race had started but it was just a lining up lap which was to be followed by a formation lap and then the actual RACE.
After the formation lap ended, all the red lights illuminated and then went out marking the beginning of the race, the roar of the crowd was louder than the sound of the cars. You could not hear them until they were pretty close to us. Immediately at the first two turns there was some contact between cars, and we knew this is going to an action packed race. Our Bahrainian supervisor Jamal had told us the smell of the fuel of the F1 cars is like perfume to him, it gives him a different high and he was right. The smell of fuel was something special and new smell of burning rubber and exhaust and it gave you Goosebumps when an F1 car passes you.
There were some incidents around the track and we were thinking that there won’t be anything in front of us anymore and that is when Massa’s car had another suspension failure on the left side this time and he came to a halt ahead of us and out of our jurisdiction. Nothing much happened after that around our section. I am pretty sure I might have missed some incidents and stories and I would love for other participating marshals to add their stories to mine. After all it is a little hard to remember a whole week of events
Vettel was the leader of the race and he kept it till the end of the race showing everyone why he is champion. He appeared to a very calm and in a strange but slight way aggressive where he needed to be. As soon as the race ended we lined up on the track and cheered the drivers as they passed us. Then when the last car passed us we ran across the track and sat on a waiting flat bed and rushed to the podium area. The crowd was roaring and cheering us and clapping for the people on the podium. I felt really special as not everyone can go on the track and pit area like we did. It was something extra ordinary, my parents and wife had joined me for the race and were right in front of the pits in the grand stand upper tier. They saw me and shouted my name and I shouted back at them waving and giving flying kisses that look this is why I was here!! O what a feeling, this will be something very close to my heart. MIND BLOWING, the champagne was opened the drivers were having fun, we were having fun clicking pictures and shouting and crying and realizing that we had conducted our first ever GP successfully. It was official no media could change that. It had gone way beyond anyone’s expectation.
I hope you guys like my detailed description. This is my first experience story on TBHP and will be very personal to me. Please feel free to add/correct me wherever I may have gone wrong or missed something. I will add a few pictures of some friends I made there.
Thank you
Maximuzz
(please also rate the post as to how you found this thread thanks)
The people who are not in the orange suits are the Bahrainians A BIG thank you to them.
Last edited by maximuzz : 20th November 2011 at 11:15.
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15th November 2011, 13:26
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