FIA report reveals extent of volunteer army underpinning cash-rich Formula One

LONDON – Formula One’s governing body, the International Automobile Federation (FIA), has shed fresh light on the contribution of an unpaid army of volunteers underpinning the glamorous cash-rich world of millionaire drivers, luxury brands and A-list celebrities.

The FIA published a report on April 10, with data provided by race organisers, which it said captured accurately for the first time how much the safe and efficient staging of races relied on committed men and women offering their time for free.

To organise a single round of the 2025 F1 world championship, an average of 838 trained volunteers were required – a ratio of roughly 42 for every F1 driver competing on track.

A minimum of 20,112 were needed to support the 24-race season, with each committing an average of 48 hours over a three-day race weekend.

That added up to a total of 965,376 hours over a season, although the report warned this was “almost certainly an underestimation of the total volunteer commitment... as it only captures hours spent ‘on duty’ across the race weekend” and not preparatory training.

The list of volunteer positions includes flag marshals, observers, incident officers and extrication teams who spring into action when things go wrong on track, as well as stewards.

The report, based on research by the FIA University, also found that volunteers contributed an estimated €13.2 million (S$19.7 million) worth of support annually – a significant amount, but still a fraction of the salaries of drivers like Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris.

The FIA said training and development programmes provided by it and member clubs at every grand prix equated to more than €11 million worth of investment.

“The FIA Formula One world championship relies on volunteers. They are the backbone of our sport – without them, we simply could not go racing,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

“They ensure our competitions are safe and fair. They act with professionalism and pride, and they support drivers, teams and fans.”

The report also said that on average the workload of volunteers had increased by 20 per cent in the past five years and 65 per cent took either annual or unpaid leave in order to be present.

“There is no comparable sport in the world that requires the same level of technical scrutiny or number of professionally qualified volunteers,” it added.

The next closest is the World Rally Championship, which requires more volunteers per event but has far fewer rounds and more competitors.

The report recommended investment in a dedicated centre of excellence with a series of full-time paid roles that would also incentivise individuals to advance through the ranks.
REUTERS