BARBADOS MOTORING FEDERATION (BMF) president Andrew Mallalieu is facing a busy few weeks as he attends three of the next six races on the Grand Prix calendar as an FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) steward.
Mallalieu will officiate as a Formula 1 steward at the Austrian GP on July 9, and, for the first time, as F2 steward in Monaco (May 27) and Hungary (July 30).
Of the FIA’s 135 member countries, Barbados is one of only ten with a population of below one million. With more than 300 competition licences issued each year, it also has arguably the most active motor sport community per head of the population of any country in the world.
The FIA Formula 2 Championship is the new title for what has been known as GP2 in recent years. Two races are run on the Friday and Saturday of ten grand prix weekends, with the penultimate round in October a stand-alone double-header at Jerez in Spain. Monaco and Hungary are rounds three and seven of the 11.
Mallalieu’s appointments take him to three new events, including the iconic Monaco GP at Monte Carlo on the Mediterranean.
Although he will miss Flow King of the Hill in which he finished 12th overall and won Group N last year in his Terra Caribbean Subaru Impreza N10, he is nevertheless looking forward to the trip.
“I have never been to Monaco, but am told it is a very special experience. In addition, as I am one of the F2 Stewards that weekend, my duties will be over on Saturday, which means I will be able to soak up the atmosphere of Grand Prix day. Of course, Jenson Button is returning to McLaren-Honda that weekend, while Fernando Alonso competes in the Indy 500. With Jenson recently confirmed as Guest of Honour at the Barbados Festival of Speed in October, it will be an ideal opportunity to catch up,” Mallalieu said.
After two years of training as an understudy’ to qualified senior stewards, Mallalieu became the first-ever FIA Formula 1 Steward from the English-speaking Caribbean and one of a body of only around 20 F1 Stewards worldwide.
After being awarded his FIA Super Licence in 2014, Mallalieu’s first GP was at Montreal in Canada, since when he has officiated in Abu Dhabi and Spain, also twice each in Brazil and Great Britain.
“While there is a lot of time and travel involved, the experience I am gaining feeds in to the work of our own BMF-appointed personnel, so keeping us in tune with international standards and motor sport continues to grow in the island,” Mallalieu added. (PR/NB)
