62: Freezing speed - F1 life through a lens

F1’s surge in popularity in the last five years is not because the sport itself has notably changed or improved. It is because people have discovered it, a sleeping giant. The sport lends itself so well to social media - being such a visually rich spectacle. With its extreme personalities and electrifying speed, it is also a wonderful platform for storytelling. 

This week we are going to explore this side of the sport with one of the great photographers of the modern era of F1, Darren Heath.

Darren works with speed, spectacle and personality. He freezes it, capturing a moment that would otherwise be lost forever, memorializing it for people around the world to enjoy. So what goes through his mind when he looks through the viewfinder and presses the shutter? How does he weave rich storytelling into an image?

Which drivers’ faces are the most interesting? How do today’s compare to the greats like Senna, Prost and Schumacher?

When he is trackside, the cars moving at 180mph a few feet away, what aspects of F1 does he see that don’t come across for fans on other media like TV or the written word? And how much can someone achieve trackside with an iPhone?

This revealing interview takes the audience behind the veil of F1 and offers a fresh, close-up take of the people that make our sport.

Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com.

A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport