57 Years Strong: A life in the fast lane with Roger Chirnside
Tuesday, 14 March 2023
As the saying goes, it takes a village, and within the major events scene, that rings especially true.
Meet Roger Chirnside, an unsung hero of the Australian Grand Prix, a marshal for over fifty years and practically part of the furniture at Albert Park.
Rewind to 1966 at Sandown, a young Roger Chirnside was gearing up in a jacket and tie for his first-ever marshalling gig after a friend said that instead of attending as a fan as he usually did, he could pick up a job and get in for free.
And he hasn’t looked back…
“He said, “stop paying money, come along and be an official”” Roger told AGPC.
Turning his initial crowd control position into a commitment record that would be hard to match across the Australian motorsport industry, Roger hasn’t missed an Australian Grand Prix since 1994, meaning he hasn’t missed a single Formula 1® moment at the Albert Park Circuit.
A Chief Flag Marshal for over 20 years, the long serving marshal has accumulated a string of stories that one could only dream of. Yet, in true Aussie style, Roger isn’t too phased about witnessing iconic moments like Michael Schumacher setting the record of four wins at Albert Park or Daniel Ricciardo’s short lived podium moment, for Roger it’s the simple things that mean the most.
“How do you compress all those years into a favourite moment?” Roger says.
“A very fast ride around the track was a buzz and to see my wife and kids enjoying it. But the fact that it’s the Australian Grand Prix, that’s the biggest buzz for me, I’m part of it which is as good as I can possibly get.”
For the average punter, it’s hard to know what a day in the life of a Grand Prix marshal looks like and to sum it up swiftly, no marshals, no event. Oozing a passion for motorsport and finding a lifetime of mateship, they volunteer their time to ensure that events are safe to run and successfully complete.
Provided a hot breakfast at the Marshal Muster on circuit from six am, their days see them work at designated circuit spots; trackside, pits, paddock, start line, managing the flag signals or in an administrative role.
“We’re here for about four days before the event actually starts, and on the Sunday night, you’ve absolutely had it, but you wouldn’t miss it for the world and hopefully I’ll keep on keeping on.”
His dedication to marshalling has taken him to Grand Prix around the world, with appearances in Bahrain, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea and Russia, where he has not only marshalled but trained the next gen coming through the marshal ranks. However, there’s no place like home.
“I may be slightly biased, but our grand prix is simply the best Grand Prix. Every circuit has its attractions, but Melbourne has just about everything.”
The Chief Marshal of Victoria and one of four Chief Marshals working the FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2023, there’s no slowing down for one Roger Chirnside.
“People say to me, “do you ever get sick of it?” No, no I don’t get sick of it. I’ll keep on going as long as I can, the Grand Prix itself is very special. It’s our Grand Prix.”
Here’s to 57 years, Roger… but who’s counting.
