F1
Chasing the race: 20 years of F1 photography at Silverstone
Watching F1 is one thing, capturing it on camera quite another. Photographer Vladimir Rys reflects on two decades of shooting the high-octane action at Silverstone.
Since his first season in 2005, F1 photographer Vladimir Rys has shot almost every British Grand Prix at Silverstone. But even all that experience can’t guarantee perfect shots. “Silverstone is one of the more difficult races for pictures,” he says. “It’s an old airfield, so there’s no elevation and the track is quite flat. And it’s a challenge, weather-wise. But the atmosphere is amazing – almost every day is sold out.” After so many visits, Rys says it’s essential to stay sharp: “You need to push yourself creatively. At such speeds, the tolerance for being in or out of focus is really small. You must use your instinct to prepare for what will happen in the next second, because once it’s happened it’s happened and you’re already too late.”
Vladimir Rys on two decades of chasing speed at Silverstone
© Vladimir Rys
July 17, 2021: in 20 years of shooting F1, Rys has witnessed its evolution. Here, he captured Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen carrying his wreath after victory in the first-ever Sprint, brought in to make race weekends even more competitive.
Max Verstappen wins F1’s first Sprint
© Vladimir Rys
July 6, 2024: “This is typical Silverstone,” Rys says of his shot of Sergio Pérez racing in Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Silverstone livery. “It’s grey and dark, but I love shooting in the rain – it adds another perspective.”
Sergio Pérez in the rain
© Vladimir Rys
July 5, 2015: “The Silverstone crowd goes bananas when Lewis Hamilton, or any British driver, wins. I don’t think you get as much emotion anywhere else, except maybe at Monza. This was after he won in 2015 for Mercedes, when he jumped on the pit-wall fence. I stood back from the other photographers to get as much emotion into the picture as possible.”
Hamilton’s 2015 win at Silverstone
© Vladimir Rys
July 13, 2019: a packed grandstand on a gloomy race day. “That’s the typical light at Silverstone: moody and dark. And even in cold weather the stands are full. The vibe’s different there. You can feel it.”
Packed stands and moody skies: Silverstone’s unique energy
© Vladimir Rys
July 5, 2015: F1’s biggest stars have had their name inscribed on the trophy at Silverstone over the years. For Rys, it’s important to keep his relationship with the drivers professional: “I want them to almost not pay attention to me. I want a candid moment.”
Silverstone trophy close-up: names that shaped F1 history
© Vladimir Rys
July 9, 2022: “F1 cars go up to 350kph, and slowing down the shutter speed gives you this panning effect where everything but the car is blurred. This is Lando Norris in his McLaren MCL60 on the main straight.”
Speed and blur: Rys captures Lando Norris at 350kph
© Vladimir Rys
July 3, 2022: “Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu’s crash on the first corner in 2022, after touching cars with Mercedes’ George Russell, was one of the scariest moments. F1 cars are built to be difficult to flip upside down, but it does happen. You can see his helmet lit up by the sparks. The halo [protection device] saved his life.”
Zhou Guanyu’s 2022 crash
© Vladimir Rys
July 29, 2020: “This overhead shot shows Red Bull Racing doing pit-stop practice. The whole crew has to be so synchronised. I have incredible access, and sometimes you do have to get in the way to get the shot, but the guys know me so well now. I’ve been there longer than most of the mechanics.”
Behind the scenes: Rys captures Red Bull’s perfect pit routine
© Vladimir Rys
July 3, 2022: “I was just behind that fence when Zhou Guanyu crashed, and you can see the imprint from his car. These fences worked very well here – if there was a concrete wall, it would be a different outcome. It was a really dramatic moment. Thanks to the safety measures we now have, nobody got hurt. It was a miracle, really.”
Zhou Guanyu’s crash: how F1 safety fences saved his life
© Vladimir Rys
July 18, 2021: Lewis Hamilton hugs the Silverstone trophy after winning the eighth of his record-breaking nine GP wins at the circuit. “He was very emotional,” says Rys. “It’s always great when the drivers show real emotion. You don’t get the usual pictures where they are the ultimate fighters; you can see that they are human beings.”
Hamilton’s emotional 2021 win: a human moment at Silverstone
© Vladimir Rys