How F1's marshals will work through COVID-19 safety measures

In all circumstances, safety is paramount at a motorsport event.

At each Formula 1 grand prix, if the weather conditions mean the medical helicopters can't fly, no track action can take place. Before the TV cameras are turned on and the spectators usually arrive, the sensors and systems around each track are repeatedly tested by the safety and medical car crews. It's all done to reduce the risk of the unexpected.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the 2020 F1 calendar beyond all recognition. After the aborted Australian Grand Prix in March, there were serious questions regarding the viability of holding a season. Thanks to the efforts of many organisations - the FIA, F1 itself, the teams, and the national governing bodies and governments of the countries the championship is now set to visit first - we can look forward to track action finally starting one week from today.

Things are going to look very different for the Austrian and Styrian grands prix, and the events at the Hungaroring, Silverstone and Barcelona beyond. There will be no high-profile media moments - such as packed grids or traditional podium celebrations - and a painful but necessary lack of an audience. But the rarely-seen systems and protocols will be much-changed too.

"It's a bit like a movie," says Luca De Angelis, a track support engineer at EM Motorsport, official supplier for several of F1's track safety systems. "You like a movie because of the actors or for the story, but behind the movie there is an incredible amount of people that work behind the scenes. And it's the same in Formula 1 - our actors are drivers and the stories are the races, but this is why it's called a 'circus' because there are plenty of people working around [the paddock] and this year will be a challenge.

"It's already a challenge, but this year will be even more challenging - starting from wearing masks, gloves and all the sanitising, and avoiding direct contact with people."

Most of us will now be used to these smaller, critical, intrusions into normal operations. Indeed, these measures can already be seen in high-profile sporting settings, such as the support staff, spaced out, and wearing personal protective equipment in the stadiums of restarted football leagues.

But given the mechanical, high-speed nature of motorsport, safety protocols in this arena already differ from other sports. No motorsport event can go ahead without a dedicated safety team - the bulk of which is made of an orange-clad army of marshals.

These volunteers are the first to see a problem unfolding, they are the first on the scene in the event of an accident, and they have their fingers on the pulse of an ever-advancing system that will play a crucial role in keeping the marshals themselves safe when working during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to social distancing.

During each F1 event, the track in question is monitored by a dedicated safety device known as the Marshalling System (pictured below), which is supplied by EM Motorsport. Using GPS, the system tracks the positioning of each car to within 30cm in real time (although it is possible for the system to show a car's live position on a virtual map within 6-10cm of accuracy), and keeps each car in radio contact with the FIA's race control centre. EM Motorsport also provides the starting grid panels that trigger warning lights should a car not getaway as expected.

The role of marshals at motorsport events is critical. But the coronavirus situation means they cannot be stationed as normal because of the required social distancing measures intended to reduce the spread of infection

Around each F1 course, between 15-20 of EM Motorsport's T1 LED panels line the outside of the track - depending on the lengths and undulating nature of each circuit - ready to indicate an incident or change in track status to the drivers. At the same time, the communication link to the cars can activate coloured warning lights in a driver's cockpit. The lighting system works in co-ordination with the car tracking.

The boards are placed with maximum visibility in mind - which is why a long track, such as Spa, that features approximately 18-19 T1 panels has just a few more than the much shorter (but twister and more undulating) Monaco course.

"There is always a team of EM personnel at the track to manage the systems, or the setup and the configuration," says De Angelis. "They are checking that all the communication with the cars is working and monitoring [the systems] during sessions. So basically, during a running session, race control uses our system and we just sit there and monitor that everything is working correctly."

The Marshalling System has reduced the need for some marshals to stand close to the track to wave the required flags, as the T1 panels can be activated remotely from a marshal post further back from the barriers. But it should be noted that flag marshals remain essential in case of a situation that requires simultaneous signalling.

The marshal posts cover several small sectors - different to a track's three timing sectors - with the boards beyond an incident indicating it is safe to resume racing, while those inside the dangerous sector show warning flag colours. The boards can also be changed to show any safety flag colour required, and indicate safety car or virtual safety car activations - although these can only be called into action by race control.

"Whenever a flag is displayed, in less than 100 milliseconds everyone knows that there is a problem - race control, the drivers, marshals," says De Angelis.

"There are some quite good examples - taking Alex Albon, not because of a particular reason but there were two accidents where he was involved last year. One was in Hungary during free practice in the last corner when he crashed. You could see from the onboard video that while he was still sliding towards the barrier, the light panel after was already on green. This means the marshal already knew that the car was going to impact the barrier and he pressed the yellow flag. The car was still sliding towards the barrier and there was already a yellow flag [board activated].

"The same thing happened in China when he crashed on the last corner - a tremendous accident for him. When he lost control, again from the onboard video, you can see that the panel [beyond] was already on green. That means the one before was already on the yellow. So, the marshal was able to press the yellow flag. The efficiency of the human being at the track is still unbelievably important."

The role of marshals at motorsport events is critical. But the coronavirus situation means they cannot be stationed as normal because of the required social distancing measures intended to reduce the spread of infection.

In Austria, people must stay one metre apart, which means the marshals at the upcoming opening races of the season will be placed in different locations that still provide the same visibility and access as they have done at the Red Bull Ring since its return to the F1 calendar in 2014.

"Usually the marshals are always located together inside the marshal post," explains De Angelis. "In Austria, there will be 15-16 [marshal] sectors. So, that means that there will be 15-16 marshals controlling the panels. We need to make sure that this person is able to sit in a place away from other marshals and away from other people working around the track, but still in a confident, comfortable location to be able to see everything that is happening within their part of the track.

"[These marshals] can be located up to 400-500m away from the flag panels. So, with this, they can be placed somewhere - by zones - and still be able to manage, control and use the flag panels while maintaining a social distance. So, in this case, it's very useful and very helpful to have this sort of system because we can prevent any social interaction between the marshals.

"It's a bit sad to say because you don't want people to not be social, but it's for their benefit and for their own good and to still be able to provide the service as they always do."

The FIA's 'Return to Motor Sport' guidelines provide detailed explanations of how organisers must implement their safety protocols in the context of risks posed by COVID-19. These also answers remaining questions regarding social distancing and car recovery following an incident, as well on-track medical care, and can be viewed in full here.

"I must say that the FIA is doing an unbelievable job in bringing motorsport back. And they are defining lots of regulations to prevent problems with the COVID-19. Of course, there is a big impact in motorsport and in the management of the motorsport [events]" Luca de Angelis

The main suggestions involve examining each event's Safety Plan, which is based on the relevant recommendations in the FIA's International Sporting Code, and seeing where the overall number of track safety workers can be reduced while still guaranteeing the same safety standards as under normal circumstances. This can be achieved through objective assessment of each stage of the Safety Plan and the roles of the workers involved, and examining the possibility of multi-tasking where this is practical. A view to implementing remote working where possible is also recommended.

As well as providing PPE for all safety workers, regular 'personal issue' kit - such as helmets, radios, headsets, mobile phones, flags, barrier repair equipment, and recovery and track inspection vehicles - will be allocated on an exclusive-use basis for the duration of events. If these items do need to be shared, they can only be safely used by another individual after being cleaned.

"A reduction in the numbers of trackside personnel needed at certain locations around a motor racing circuit would significantly aid the adoption of COVID-19 safe working practices," states the 'Return to Motor Sport' document.

"However, the fundamental requirement to maintain safe conditions for running a competition through observation, signalling, intervention and the provision of appropriate emergency services must still be respected at all times."

As the FIA's ISC sets out, there can be a maximum of 500m between each marshal post, which means tracks can opt to simply not crew certain supplementary or low-risk posts (such as those on straights). Alternatively, these can be crewed solely by T1 panel operators, flag marshals or both - with these staff also fulfilling other marshal post duties such as the observers or communicators. The 'Return to Motor Sport' guidelines explain that in some cases F1 marshal posts can comprise "12+ marshals" and that this can be safely reduced - possibly by as much 50% - by following the recommended restructuring.

Reducing the number of personnel involved in pitlane marshalling and scrutineering is also recommended where this is possible.

Regarding car and driver recovery, the guidelines state that: "While intervention in an accident will involve close contact between marshals, officials, competitors and other rescue personnel, such situations are relatively rare and therefore appropriate operational distancing to minimise and mitigate risk of COVID-19 transmission should still be possible during the majority of the event."

In terms of providing medical assistance, this must still only be done by specialist medical personnel, and the marshals can only ensure a driver is kept safe while waiting for further assistance to arrive. The ability of medical intervention [MIV] and firefighting vehicles must be reviewed in relation to any reduction in the normal number of marshals at an event.

"Any such reduction would in fact place an increased emphasis on the use of MIVs under race neutralisation and suspension conditions," states the 'Return to Motor Sport' text.

"I must say that the FIA is doing an unbelievable job in bringing motorsport back," concludes De Angelis. "And they are defining lots of regulations to prevent problems with the COVID-19. Of course, there is a big impact in motorsport and in the management of the motorsport [events]."

When motorsport returns, it will look different and will be taking place under a tragic shadow. It is the critical, often unseen, safety systems put in place that will allow these events to go ahead.