My Formula 1 Job: Dan, Activation Manager

Meet Dan from Australia, who has been a part of the staff organising and operating fan zones at F1 races all over the world since 2017

Photos supplied by Dan Pears
In a brand new sequence of articles, we communicate to individuals who journey the world working in Method 1. We study how they bought their job, what their function entails and what it’s prefer to work and journey for as much as 9 months of the 12 months. 

Dan Pears was solely 19 years outdated and dwelling in Perth, Western Australia when he despatched in a web-based utility for an F1 function with a UK-based occasions firm. He had some related expertise and expertise, but it surely was nonetheless a leap of religion for each Dan and his new employer when he moved to the UK in 2017 to take up a place with Occasions Home. 

Seven years later, Dan stays with the corporate as an Activation Supervisor, liable for organising and operating simulators in fan zones at Method 1 races all all over the world. Dan labored at each race apart from one final season, and has racked up a powerful tally of 66 F1 races labored, a quantity that may be a lot increased had been it not for the pandemic. He’s stepping again a bit in 2024 with plans to ‘solely’ work at 14 races this season, giving him extra time to deal with rising his simulator enterprise in Australia. 

How did you get the job?

I discovered the job itemizing on-line. I didn’t have precise work expertise related to simulators, however I’d been sim racing myself for years and I knew how they labored. I used to be truly learning for a Display screen and Media diploma on the time, which I by no means completed as a result of I used to be supplied the job. The catch was that I first needed to journey from Australia to the UK and efficiently full a one-week trial. I bear in mind being thrown in on the deep finish after I began, which frequently occurs with occasion work. You both sink or swim, and by chance I actually loved it and was not afraid to place within the lengthy hours which can be typically required. It was a dangerous choice to maneuver to the UK for this job, but it surely actually labored out, as a result of I’ve been working in F1 for seven seasons now.

The place are you primarily based? 

I’m at present primarily based in Perth, Western Australia. The corporate I work for is from the UK, and I’ve lived in London on and off for the previous seven years. After I bought the job, I used to be in a position to get British citizenship by means of my Dad’s aspect of the household, which additionally helped. I used to be solely ever primarily based in London throughout the F1 season. I’ve at all times come dwelling for a number of months throughout the low season, and I additionally spent an prolonged time period again in Australia throughout the pandemic. 

London was an excellent base after I was touring to virtually all of the races, however I’ve determined to do much less races this 12 months. For the races I’ll be working at this 12 months, that are primarily within the Center East and Asia, Perth is definitely a reasonably good base. 

How does a typical race week search for you? Describe your function.

We usually land on Monday night or Tuesday morning and get straight into setting the whole lot up. It’s a giant job to place collectively the fan zone. It could take 2-3 days of exhausting work to get the whole lot prepared. 

We usually have a staff of about 6-10 individuals organising the fan zone at every race. We additionally should arrange simulators in hospitality suites just like the Paddock Membership. Some races are greater and have a number of fan zones, so we may even have some native contractors serving to out. All of us assist one another out throughout the arrange and pack down. 

When the fan zone is open we deal with our personal space. In my case, that’s operating the simulators. F1 have their very own staffing company, so we may even be allotted a specific amount of workers at every race to assist run the fan zone. We break up these individuals between our actions and practice them up on how the whole lot works. I run the simulators, however our staff can be liable for pit cease challenges, present vehicles, F1 podium and different shows within the fan zone. 

We’ve usually bought 8-16 simulators arrange within the fan zone. We run common competitions and I’m typically on the microphone, working the gang. Typically we have now F1, F2 and F3 drivers come and make an look. We additionally collect the followers with the quickest instances collectively for a sim race on Sunday, simply earlier than the precise race. The winner usually will get a Paddock tour as a prize.

And after the race finishes on Sunday, we begin to pack down. It takes us 1-2 days to pack up the fan zone and get the whole lot prepared for the subsequent race. We usually fly out on Monday evening or Tuesday after the race.

Do you ever get any free time on the monitor or within the host metropolis?

On the monitor, not a lot. The fan zone is quiet when the F1 vehicles are on the monitor, so I generally get the prospect to observe the vehicles and take some pictures. Videography and pictures was only a pastime of mine earlier than beginning to work in F1, however I’ve been in a position to make it a part of my job now as effectively. My firm will ask me to take some pictures or make a video of the fanzone. 

We additionally get a while off at evening and we will exit for dinner and have a number of drinks. However there are exceptions. I bear in mind getting zero break day all weekend in Miami final 12 months, primarily as a result of the logistics of attending to and from the monitor had been actually troublesome. 

Do you ever get the prospect to remain a bit longer within the race vacation spot and be a vacationer?

Not likely. 90% of the time, we fly in, do our job after which fly out once more. Final 12 months, the one place the place I bought to essentially be a vacationer for a number of days was in Bologna [after the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix]. We had already arrange the fan zone at Imola when the race was canceled as a result of native flooding. After packing the whole lot up, we had a number of days to discover Bologna earlier than touring on to the Monaco Grand Prix.

What occurred to your job throughout covid?

We had been all arrange within the fan zone on the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne [March 2020] when the race weekend was canceled and the entire world began to close down. I used to be primarily based within the UK on the time and I used to be supposed to return there. However I knew the borders had been going to be closed, so I made a decision to remain in Australia. I bought my colleagues to pack up my belongings within the UK and put them in storage. It was positively the appropriate choice, as a result of it took round 18 months earlier than we returned to the monitor to run the fan zones.

You’ve labored in fan zones at each race on the calendar. The place are the very best ones?

I actually like Melbourne and Silverstone, as a result of there’s at all times a lot of issues to do for the followers when they’re on the monitor. Not many restrictions about the place you possibly can go, like at another circuits. Additionally they have concert events contained in the circuit. Silverstone particularly is sort of a music pageant, and a number of followers are tenting subsequent to the monitor. At another circuits, they’ve the concert events exterior the circuit and everybody has to depart the circuit quickly after the race finishes.

What’s probably the most difficult side of your job?

The fixed journey could be actually tiring, particularly when it includes long-haul flights, time zone adjustments and jet lag. We additionally work actually lengthy hours on the monitor – 12 hours a day minimal. The arrange and pack down may also be actually bodily difficult. The fan zones are practically at all times exterior and open to the weather, so we additionally should cope with every kind of climate. Again to again races are probably the most difficult, as we have now much less time to pack down and transfer the whole lot to the subsequent location. Meaning working by means of the evening on Sunday after the race. 

What are your favourite races?

It’s bought to be my dwelling race, the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. I don’t should journey far and Albert Park is a good circuit. Town is shut by and there may be at all times one thing to do or someplace to exit. I’m additionally extra relaxed working at my dwelling race. 

I additionally love the Austrian Grand Prix for the surroundings. It’s simply beautiful. You may see 90% of the monitor from the grandstand seats on the prime of the hill [at the Red Bull Ring]. I solely labored the Monaco Grand Prix for the primary time final 12 months, however I additionally actually loved the final craziness and events there on race weekend.

For nightlife, you possibly can go previous the US Grand Prix in Austin. We at all times keep downtown, proper off sixth road. That race is a giant social gathering race for everybody working in F1. I additionally noticed Queen play at COTA final 12 months, which was superior. Budapest is one other spotlight. The climate is nice and the town could be very inexpensive. It’s someplace I’d like to return to for a metropolis break after I’m not working. I’d additionally like to return to Japan as a vacationer. 

What about your least favourite races? 

Qatar final 12 months was actually difficult. The warmth and humidity had been brutal, after which on prime of that you just had some organizational points. The safety and the police on the monitor had been very exhausting to cope with as effectively. 

The Las Vegas Grand Prix final November was additionally a tricky race. Not solely was it a brand new occasion, however the logistics on the circuit had been actually exhausting. Our staff had activations in several fan zones across the monitor, and getting from one place to a different was actually time consuming and irritating. They didn’t have sufficient entry factors for workers working on the occasion. Having mentioned that, it was additionally a enjoyable race to work. As a result of the on-track motion was late at evening, we had some further time throughout the day to see the town .

I already talked about Miami, however the logistics of attending to and from the circuit may also be troublesome at different races. The visitors in Mexico and Sao Paulo is actually unhealthy. France was horrible for visitors administration, and Belgium just isn’t a lot better. There’s typically a scarcity of communication between the race organizers and the native police, and generally it might be good to have the ability to have the ability to lower the road, provided that we’re there to work.

What are the very best elements of your job?

I really feel very privileged to work in one of many world’s most prestigious sports activities. I get to journey the world, I get to fulfill and work with F1, F2 and F3 drivers, and I get to observe and generally {photograph} the vehicles on the monitor. 

Any recommendation for somebody who want to get a job in Method 1?

Do your analysis and put the work in. Resolve what function you need and work in direction of getting the appropriate {qualifications} and expertise. Take a look at different types of motorsport for expertise. Search for job vacancies on-line, but in addition don’t be afraid to ship in your CV and apply anyway, even when there aren’t any present alternatives being marketed. 

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