Safety marshal a diehard F1 fan
SEPANG: Its a tough job waiting in the blistering heat and cold rain that the Sepang International Circuit is famous for, but the safety marshals are up to the task.
Waiting at various turns of the circuit, their job is to clear the track of debris as well as to move stalled race cars off the track.
Azhar Ismail, 53, is one of those safety marshals and has been doing the job since the first race in 1999.
“Yes it does get extremely hot and sometimes the downpours are brutal but its all part of the job.
“How many people can say that they were part of the Formula 1 race? I can,” said the father of four who works at a hotel in Shah Alam.
Azhar said he was always a fan of motorsports and had gone to many races at the Batu Tiga circuit when it was still in operation.
“When I heard Formula 1 was coming here in 1999, I knew I had to be a part of it.
“I heard they were recruiting volunteers to be safety marshals and I jumped at the opportunity,” he said adding that his wife was very supportive of his hobby.
“If you can handle the weather, you get some of the best seats, watching as the Formula 1 cars blast past you with their engines screaming.
“My eldest son is not really a motorsports fan but my second and third children are huge fans and begged to join me as soon as they came of age.
“Now this is more of a family affair as my sons and I get to do this,” he said.
Azhar said he was sad when he first heard that this was the final Formula 1 race, but he has so many fond memories at the track.
“I managed to meet my favourite driver – four-time champion Sebastian Vettel,” he said, adding that he would still take part as a marshal for other races such as the MotoGP.