Postcard 3: Goodbye to Abu Dhabi

By Jim Tatler
Website contributor

Motor racing official Jim Tatler, from Cheltenham, spent ten days in Abu Dhabi where he worked as a marshall at the last Formula 1 Grand Prix of the season

History has been made with the first ever race on the Yas Marina circuit being held for the Chevrolet Supercar Middle East series.

It's a similar thing to the Aussie V8 series with growling V8 engines and drivers with attitudes to match, there's usually a bit of rough and tumble with these guys.

Talking of Lewis, I had to 'beep' him and his entourage out of the way as I carried out my familiarisation laps the day before. Jim Tatler

As a race it was pretty much a non event save for the expected overruns into turn eight and the usual 'elbows out' style of cornering that results in a few dented wings, but it was a successful beginning for the circuit.

F1 practice was a mad charge around the track becoming more frenetic as the drivers grew in confidence, learning the minute nuances of the track, there are some very subtle changes in level and cambers that aren't noticeable to the TV viewers.

READ MORE: Cheltenham man works at F1 finale

READ MORE: Postcard 1: Arrival in Abu Dhabi

READ MORE: Postcard 2: At work in Abu Dhabi

In pictures: Jims photos from Abu Dhabi

Towards the end there were some very quick times posted including I believe, a sub 1m 40secs for Lewis Hamilton. Talking of Lewis, I had to 'beep' him and his entourage out of the way as I carried out my familiarisation laps the day before.

This was yet another scorcher of a day, not as humid as Friday but very hot none the less. With shade all but non-existent, the only place to get any respite was along the shadow line of one of the lighting columns but in time even that disappeared over the barriers onto the track.

Qualifying was as you may have seen on TV, from the marshals' point of view it was uneventful which allowed as us to simply watch and enjoy the spectacle.

Jim Tatler was one of around 350 British marshals working at the GP

It's GP day at last and the temperature is reported to be in the region of 38C. Before cameras were banished into exile in our bags for the rest of the day, we took the opportunity to take team photos with the circuit and vehicles in the background.

Into the first race of the day but the second of the weekend for the Chevvies, and what a belter it was. In the first few corners there was a repeat of the elbowing seen on Saturday resulting in a few going off circuit but in the main most managed to rejoin.

The serious stuff came on lap two as they charged through turn eight. One car tried to turn across the nose of another but with neither car wanting to yield position; they pushed and shoved each other through most of the corner.

As they exited the turn, they came apart and then back together with what looked to be a very mild tap but then one of them suddenly became engulfed in flames. The driver wrestled with the car and managed to point it into the support pit lane entrance a few hundred metres away on the right.

This proved to be a very good move, as with flames still licking around the doors, he stopped alongside a marshal's post and the team moved swiftly to extinguish the inferno. The driver emerged unscathed but it was good to see that all the out of season training that takes place in the cold winters back home, really does pay off.

Still on the subject of heat, since I arrived I have been going on, if not gloating, about how hot it is out here, but there is another side of this to consider. Several marshals have come close to being seriously dehydrated and have been taken to the med centre for treatment and observation.

It's worth noting that we have been told to drink at least two or three litres of water every three hours. This may seem a lot to you but in reality if you carry a bottle with you and take regular drinks, you quickly become used to it and it becomes second nature. If you get to the point that you feel thirsty and dehydrated, then it's too late to drink yourself out of trouble.

As they weave around the track, an air of excitement builds, tiredness gives way to wide eyed anticipation and the marshals' ready themselves for the start. Jim Tatler

Increasing your salt intake is also vitally important as this keeps your level of electrolytes up or something similar! The easiest way is to just add a little more with each meal.

Before the F1 race, we had a parade of drivers; this is for the speccies to see their favourites and heroes without helmets on. Sad to say that this was a little disappointing as most of them had their backs turned to the crowd and were chatting amongst themselves.

Considering the fortunes that these people are paid, it's not too much to ask that they spend five minutes or so waving to the people who spend large amounts of money to put their bums on seats at what is a major show-business event.

At the other end of the scale, we the officials, are subject to various inspections over the course of the weekend one in particular being the medical inspection. We line up trackside with all the other intervention crews to show that the correct vehicles are there and fully manned (or womaned!) as the case may be.

This is done by Gary Hartstein and his team. Since he took over from Professor Sid Watkins, he has made a point of getting out to shake hands with everyone and to thank them for their efforts - a contrast indeed.

This is it. The one minute warning has been announced on the ES1 radio channel, shortly the cars will be released on a green flag lap before lining up on the grid.

Back home, Jim Tatler is clerk of the course at the Prescott Speed Hill Climb

As they weave around the track, an air of excitement builds, tiredness gives way to wide eyed anticipation and the marshals ready themselves for the start. Caps are straightened, shades cleaned, earplugs rolled and fitted into place. The cameraman who has been with us for days now says that for the duration of the race, he is tied to his camera and so hands out ice cold drinks to marshals as he won't be able to get at them, or go to the loo!

All of a sudden they are away! We hear them first but then we see their reflections distorted in the mirrored fronts of the main grandstand suites as they move off. It's a pretty clean start but the action here is frenetic, marshals heads flicking in all directions, we have cars passing us on both sides and from different directions, this is a dangerous place to be and constant vigilance is the only way to stay safe. You have to try to look in the direction of the traffic as that is where the kind of debris that kills you is going to come from.

Dave King has noted that after two or three laps all of the drivers have removed the darkened tear off strips from their visors as the sun is now below the stands and they are relying on the circuit lighting. The Brawns seemed to get a good start but so did the Red Bulls and Button can't get any closer to them.

It's now that you notice the smells, a heady mix of clutch, brakes and rubber along with the sickly sweet odours of spent fuel, assault your nostrils. Going back a little, we could smell the perfume from the grid girls as they passed a hundred metres away before the race start. There's some early pitting from the Red Bulls and Hamilton, and then the news none of us wanted, Hamilton has retired, cause unknown at present.

At home it's easy for you to follow the action as the BBC gives you a barrage of data that's constantly updated. Out here it's a completely different story. It's impossible to hear the spectator commentary and so we have the local Radio Two tuned in which is also broadcasting the commentary. It does play great music but the commentary is split 80/20 between Arabic and English.

With 25 laps to go we are now totally reliant upon the track lighting and so we can now see the hotel lighting display that looks so magnificent from the air. Currently it is displaying reds and blues in a randomly changing pattern although we are told that it will become a chequered flag when the race ends.

As we queue to check in, someone notices Damon Hill, rummaging through his bag alongside us. Jim Tatler

Just had a tip off from Dave King. The safety car is parked a couple of vehicles ahead and a quick look through the window reveals that they have a number of screens built into the dash. One is showing the same footage that you can see at home and the other is getting live, constantly updated timing data of all the cars. So that's how they know what is going on and can respond so quickly!

In the final few laps, the atmosphere is electric as Jenson is trying everything he can to pass Webber. As they tear down the back straight and into turn eight the whole of the ES team was screaming for him to pass but alas it was not to be but what a great finish to the race, with Jenson going into the runoff area under the stand to do donuts on the slowing down lap.

As we thought, the hotel did indeed go chequered but of course, you have already seen it.

There you go; the adventure is at an end. Packing is done and some of us head off to the airport to catch the 'red eye' to Heathrow at 2.35am.

As we queue to check in, someone notices Damon Hill, rummaging through his bag alongside us.

"Have you got any good news for us when we get home Mr Hill?" called an anonymous marshal obviously referring to the negotiations to get the British GP back at Silverstone.

"Not yet" he said "but it will happen"

Let's see.