Here's your chance to be part of the world's first and only Formula One night race.

Have you wondered what some senior executives, a former national sprinter, a trauma nurse, a creative director, an endurance race driver, housewives and grandparents have in common? Some of them have participated as  a volunteer race official in Singapore's Formula One Grand Prix. For this year's race, a total of 950 positions are open, with an expected 80% of marshals having experience from previous races.

If you fancy having a close-up view of the action, while playing an important role in the grandeur, you'll be interested in some of the positions open this year that include observers, track marshals, flag marshals and fire marshals.

Trainee race officials can expect to attend approximately seven days of theory and practical training, conducted over weekends. The first module which covers safety aspects, Formula One protocols and basic track and flag signals, will commence in April 2011. As part of the marshals’ hands-on training, they will get to perform recovery and extrication exercises on a Formula BMW car.

Interested participants will need to be 18 and above as of 1 January 2011, physically fit, fluent in English and be able to commit to all scheduled training sessions and participate in all four days of the race (22 to 25 September). Registration will be open to the public from 17 January, 8am, to 27 February 2011, via the website http://raceofficials.singaporegp.sg.

All selected participants will be receiving specialist hands-on training in fire safety and track recovery, while selected senior officials will be given attachment opportunities at overseas circuits to gain practical experience. This year, selected senior officials will be sent to Adelaide, Melbourne and Darwin in Australia as well as Sepang, Malaysia for training attachments.

Despite its infancy in the F1 race circles, Singapore GP is continually looking at ways to improve the operational efficiency. “Last year, we sent 17 officials for a gruelling 11-day training course to be certified as Manitou Operators,” said Gabriel Tan, Clerk-of-the-Course, Singapore GP Pte Ltd. “They helped us tremendously during last year’s race where we achieved track time recovery records in two instances.”