Shooting the Hankook 24H DUBAI can be a challenge because of the light conditions around the Dubai Autodrome. The majority of which isn’t lit, so life can get pretty tricky during the race’s 13-plus hours of night! But as a photographer, it’s important to use as much light as you can find to create the image in your mind’s eye, something I feel is reflected perfectly with this image.

This particular shot was taken in a very uncomfortable position, as I was hanging through one of the ‘windows’ on the pitwall at the time. To make life even harder, the shutter speed was slowed right down to maximize the amount of light coming into the lens, creating that extra sense of speed. How we suffer for our art!

Hankook 24H DUBAI

Simpson Motorsport

35mm F1.4 DG HSM

1/20

ISO 3200.

Before heading to Dubai, I’d been told that sunsets in the Middle East are on another level. This clearly wasn’t a lie! This shot was taken during one of the week’s evening practice sessions, and there are a few corners at the Dubai Autodrome where you can really take advantage of that amazing ‘golden’ glow (this particular shot was taken from turn six). The challenge, as a motorsport photographer, is the ability to combine everything into one shot: speed; action; atmosphere; and, yes, sometimes sunsets. 

Photography, for me, is more than ‘just’ taking a shot. It’s about creating stories and memories. Something this image represents so well for me, personally.

Hankook 24H DUBAI 

RABDAN Motorsport / Team GP-Elite / Grove Racing

RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

1/800

500mm

ISO 2000

Every motorsport photographer is familiar with the famous red zones: locations they are prohibited to stand or work from, often defined by the potential risks that come with them. So we all have to be creative and look for different angles to capture the action in a unique way.

Most photographers already have the image they want to create in their head. After that, it is ‘simply’ a matter of finding the right location. In this case, I discovered my sweet spot right in the middle of the bridge crossing pitlane entry. It’s a great location to capture some overhead shots, especially at night, but also challenging to get to, as access is limited to official personnel only. 

There are perks to being the official photographer for the 24H SERIES.

Hankook 24H DUBAI

Herberth Motorsport 

85mm

F 5.6

1/50

ISO 4000

Before heading to a circuit for the first time (as was the case for me with Mugello in 2023), I always research the best shooting opportunities upfront. But that is only the start. As the weekend goes on, it’s important to get out of that comfort zone and try to capture the action on-track from locations that aren’t that obvious: a frontal headshot in a chicane; a normal pan at a slow corner, etc etc. 

This shot was taken at a relatively slow shutter speed from the inside of the Buccine hairpin. Interestingly, you can hear the cars coming, you can’t actually track them upfront because of the topography, meaning there’s no time to pre-focus. In situations like this, I have to switch to full manual focus, set my points, then match the speed of the car. There’s a lot of concentration involved, but it’s worth it, especially when the Tuscan hills in the background add to that sense of speed.  

Hankook 12H MUGELLO

Red Ant Racing

RF24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM

1/30

24 mm

ISO 100

Motorsport is all about emotions. It’s not just about the racing itself: it’s about the people behind it and their passion. Few shots I took in 2023 captured that better than this image of Mathieu Detry and Haas RT team owner Sandrine Haas hugging after their team had just won the 2023 Hankook 12H MUGELLO. The team’s first race win ever!

The shot speaks for itself, as the happiness, and relief, comes pouring out. For Mathieu and Sandrine – in fact everyone at Haas RT – this is a moment that will stay with them forever.

Hankook 12H MUGELLO

Mathieu Detry / Sandrine Haas / Haas RT

RF24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM

1/30

24 mm

ISO 100

What is more iconic at Spa-Francorchamps than Eau Rouge and Radillon…? Exactly! Over the past few years though, this incredible racetrack and the surroundings at this complex have been through many changes, which, ironically, has made it harder for photographers to capture this unique location. The flip side is that driver and marshal safety has also been improved, so we won’t dwell on that too much!

The new grandstand at the top of the hill however provides a brand-new location for photographers. One that’s amazing to shoot from: I can almost get my lens to the same level as the track itself. This also allows us to include the yellow and red run-off areas in the shot in a different way. It’s an interesting additional touch that also helps frame the image itself. 

Turns out, even after 100-plus years, photographers can still learn new lessons at Spa.

Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS 

Herberth Motorsport

RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

1/1.000

500mm

ISO 100

The ‘downside’ of coming to Spa-Francorchamps so many times is that it’s always a challenge to find new angles and corners to short from, and thus create images that genuinely speak to us. This shot was taken during Qualifying, just moments before the rain stated to pour, as it can only do in the Ardennes. It was taken at pit entry, and in order to get that glorious combination of lines and the ominous clouds in the background, the camera had to be held very low down (it was almost touching the track surface). You can feel, in this one shot, that everyone’s carefully thought-out strategy is about to change completely…

Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS

Heart of Racing by SPS

35mm F1.4 DG HSM

1/1.250

35 mm

ISO 100

Monza. One of those legendary race tracks that still features on the Formula 1 calendar today. But, iconic as it is, Monza is a really tough track for photographers, as the number of shooting locations to work with is limited to around six places. 

This shot was taken at Variante della Roggia during Free Practice, and shows a beautiful ballet of two Porsches hitting the kerbs simultaneously, creating a nice balance to the shot. Much to both team managers’ annoyance, I imagine! I’m guessing there was a conversation after Free Practice, reminding each driver to save their tyres – and their cars – by staying OFF the kerbs. 

Hankook 12H MONZA

Rabdan Motorsport by HRT Performance

RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

1/1.000

300mm

ISO 800

I had this shot in mind very early on during the Monza weekend. The opportunity finally arose, during qualifying, when the clouds really popped out. 

As luck would have it, I was covering the pitlane at the time, and managed to catch Herberth Motorsport’s Robert Renauer while he was waiting to take over the #91 Porsche for his own qualifying run. I’m also quite pleased with the metal rig on the left too, as this balances Robert out in the frame nicely. As you can tell, his attention – quite rightly – was elsewhere when I took the shot!

Hankook 12H MONZA

Robert Renauer / Herberth Motorsport

35mm F1.4 DG HSM

1/2.000

ISO 100

Another iconic track arrived on the 24H SERIES calendar in 2023 – Estoril – and what better way to honour that than with some car-to-car photography before official Free Practice? This shoot led to some amazing material: the blue sky and the very green hills in the background are just stunning!

While car-to-car rolling shoots are among my favourite things to do, they are physically one of the toughest to accomplish as well. Even after I’d finished my post-shoot editing, the nausea and dizziness was still hitting me. Sitting – or in this case, lying – in the trunk of a moving car, driving sometimes up to 50kph, and being thrown from side-to-side as we went through chicane after chicane, is not something I’d recommend for those with weak stomachs!

Hankook 12H ESTORIL 

E2P Racing

RF24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM

1/40

31 mm

ISO 125

Sunsets are always the ultimate goal for a photographer. Nothing beats that beautiful light. But they’re not always a guarantee. 

In order to take this shot, I only had a window of a few minutes before the sun disappeared completely behind the mountains in the distance. To be in the exact spot to capture an image like this, and at the right time, is always a challenge, which makes the end result that much more satisfying when you nail it!

Hankook 12H ESTORIL

CP Racing

EF-S10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM

1/125

18 mm

ISO 100

When I am working in the pitlane, I usually carry my f1.4 lenses in the hope of capturing a detail that’s so crisp, it feels unreal. Looking at this image in high resolution, you can see that there is only one element in the shot that is sharp: the pupil. 

And that’s the point I wanted to make here. All the focus is on the eye, representing a driver’s focus before heading out on-track to set that crucial lap time (it helps that the roll cage and the protective nets draw your attention to Max’s eyes too). It’s a simple idea, but it can create a very powerful image.

Hankook 24H BARCELONA

Max Partl / Hofor-Racing by Bonk Motorsport

85mm F1.4 DG HSM

1/125

ISO 100

Just before qualifying in Barcelona – a session I usually cover from the pitlane – it started raining. And I mean, really pouring down! In moments like that, you just have to grab your gear, collect yourself and start shooting. You can’t hang about, because you’ve no idea when the rain will stop. 

The fact that you need to spend the next 12 hours drying your camera is a small inconvenience you need to accept, especially because it’s the perfect opportunity to capture the spray and the almost sinister atmosphere created by the headlights. There’s a lot more dedication that goes into an image like this than people might realize at first glance…

Hankook 24H BARCELONA

NM Racing Team

RF70-200mm F4 L IS USM

1/640

70 mm

ISO 4000

A 24-hour race is a challenge for both man and machine. Every team consists of so many different characters, and, often, people playing a vital role that tends to be forgotten. One I find is important to document where possible. 

In this case, I am talking about the tank crew that takes care of the fuel stops. These stops are influenced by so many factors and can change at any moment, meaning the crew needs to be available at the tanking area all the time. 

Even for them, it is often a challenge to stay awake. This image was captured on Sunday morning around 7am after a challenging night, and perfectly captures the fact that we are all just humans and the body needs rest. Even in a full fireproof outfit.

Hankook 24H BARCELONA

“…zzzz… ZZZZ…”

85mm

F 1.4

1/125

ISO 4000

For any motorsport photographer, it’s vital to capture the speed of the cars. We can always crank up the shutter speed to make sure the car is sharp, but in return, we risk losing the essence of our subject. And with complex shots like this, finding the right balance between the location, the composition and the light makes things difficult enough as it is,

In the end, capturing the speed of the KKrämer Porsche while testing the extremes of my shutter speed by dropping this as low as possible was always going to be a gamble. One that definitely paid off.

Hankook 12H KUWAIT

KKrämer Racing

35mm

F 8

⅕

ISO 100

You have those moments as a photographer when one image sums up the entire race weekend. For me, it’s this one.

For this shot, I had a timeframe of exactly 15 seconds. 15 seconds, during which the sun would be in the exact position for me to capture one of the cars driving into it (seriously, the speed of the sunsets in Kuwait is staggering!). With the help of Sabastian our pitlane camera man, I was able to find the exact spot for this composition. And it worked perfectly.

Beer is on me at the next event, Seb! 

Hankook 12H KUWAIT

Manamauri Energy by Ebimotors

500mm

F 6

1/1600

ISO 2000