Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has praised volunteers and officials in the UAE and across the Middle East for their contribution to motorsport, as a study highlights the scale of support required to run the Formula One World Championship.
October marks the FIA Volunteers and Officials Month, the second year it is being celebrated, and comes as the F1 season approaches the climax of another season in Abu Dhabi, come December.
Ben Sulayem highlighted the role of volunteers at events including the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Dubai International Baja.
“Volunteers and officials are the lifeblood of our sport, and without their dedication, professionalism and passion, there would simply be no racing or rallying,” said FIA President Ben Sulayem.
“We launched the first Volunteers and Officials Month last year, and I’m delighted that we have come together across our Federation for a second time to recognise the vital role volunteers and officials play across our sport.”
“Our Member Clubs in the region work tirelessly to maintain the highest standards behind the scenes in motorsport. This has been highlighted by the commitment of the Emirates Motorsports Organisation to ensure the hard work, dedication and efficiency that we’ve seen from marshals and officials at the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Dubai International Baja.”
A study conducted by FIA University earlier this year underlined the scale of the workforce needed to manage the sport’s premier championship. It found that at least 20,112 trained volunteers are required to staff all 24 rounds of the F1 calendar each season.
An average of 838 volunteers work at each race weekend, equivalent to 42 for every driver competing on track. Together, they contribute an estimated 965,376 hours of service across the season, with each volunteer committing about 48 hours per event.
The research also found that 65% of volunteers take annual leave or unpaid time off to support events, highlighting the personal commitment behind the smooth running of race weekends.
Volunteers and officials perform a range of duties, from trackside marshalling and technical inspections to race control, medical assistance and rescue operations, helping ensure events are conducted safely and fairly.
