Motorsport Marshals

[Clive Loynes]

I've just been reading an article on Fangio, where he was asked in an interview how he had managed to avoid ploughing into a multi-car crash at Monaco in 1950.

"I was lucky," he recounted. "There had been a similar accident in 1936 and I happened to see a photograph of it the day before the race. As I came out of the chicane, I was aware of something different with the crowd - a different colour.

"I was leading, but they were not watching me. They were looking down the road. Instead of their faces, I was seeing the backs of their heads. So something at Tabac was more interesting than the leader - and then I remembered the photograph and braked as hard as I could."

So obviously there were no marshals in 1950.

So when did they first come into being?

I've tried to google it but all I find are invitations to become one!