Formula 1 is a sport defined by speed and by its technology, its data and its commercial scale.
But behind every race weekend sits a workforce that no team budget can account for – and a new FIA report has quantified its contribution for the first time.
The study, commissioned by the FIA, draws on empirical data gathered from a 2025 survey of all 19 host organisers across the 24 rounds of the F1 World Championship calendar.
Its headline finding is striking. An average of 838 volunteers are required to safely and efficiently organise a single round of the championship. Extrapolated across the full calendar, that equates to a minimum of 20,112 trained volunteers recruited and supported annually.
The ratio that figure produces is equally telling. With 20 competitors on the grid in 2025, the sport requires 42 volunteers for every single participant – placing F1 at the top of a global league table of sports that rely on volunteers to enable active participation.
The economic value attached to that contribution is substantial. Applying an industry standard replacement labour cost methodology, the report concludes that volunteer support across the championship is worth €13.2 million annually.
The investment made by the FIA and its member clubs in recruiting, training and developing those volunteers amounts to €11.1 million per year.
The report also captures the depth of commitment involved. Two in every three volunteers at Formula 1 events have been doing so for at least five years.
Over a race weekend, the average volunteer commits 48 hours of their time – often reporting for duty from early in the morning on race day. Workloads have grown by 20% over the past five years, yet retention has remained high.
Without them we simply could not go racing. They ensure our competitions are safe and fair. They act with professionalism and pride.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem
“The FIA Formula One World Championship relies on volunteers – they are the backbone of our sport,” said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“Without them we simply could not go racing. They ensure our competitions are safe and fair. They act with professionalism and pride, and they support drivers, teams and fans.”
The report concludes with a series of recommendations, including the establishment of a dedicated FIA Centre of Excellence to serve as a training and recruitment hub for volunteers and officials worldwide.
An expanded FIA Officials Department and a new volunteer charter setting out minimum standards of support are also proposed.
As Formula 1 continues to grow its calendar and global reach, the report makes clear that the human infrastructure enabling each race weekend will need to scale with it.
