GP Racing UK November 2021

@BenAndersonF1 Who knew a set of temporary, emergency rule changes, designed principally to arrest development of cars meant to be scrap already, in order to protect the integrity of tyres never meant to go on this long, would produce the most compelling Formula 1 season in almost a decade? I would argue this is as exciting a title fight as F1 has seen since 2012, when Sebastian Vettel inexplicably survived a first-lap collision with Bruno Senna at the final race in Brazil to beat Fernando Alonso to the prize. But in terms of what it could mean for F1 should Max Verstappen topple Lewis Hamilton, what we have now is a situation more akin to 2005-06, when Alonso and Renault finally ended Michael Schumacher’s streak. Even that analogy has limits, because Ferrari was…

OLEG KARPOV Oleg snared an exclusive chat with Max Verstappen as the Dutchman goes full pelt in pursuit of his first title. See the results on p36 ANTHONY PEACOCK PR for Kimi Räikkönen's rally team in 2011 and still a friend of the Finn, Anthony explains why Formula 1 will miss the retiring Iceman (p72) ANDREW BENSON BBC Sport's chief F1 writer analyses exactly how Red Bull has levered itself into championship contention (p46) STEWART BELL Melbourne-based journalist Stewart reveals just how long George Russell has been on Mercedes' F1 radar (p56) Thanks to Matt Bishop, Michael Clayton, Steve Cooper, Lucy Genon, Clarisse Hoffmann, Gemma Lusty, Will Ponissi, Katharina Rees IS POWERED BY…

Being able to go on the grid (see over the page) meant passing up the opportunity to go out on track on race day in Turkey, such are the Covid protocols, but I was able to go up on the roof of the pit building. I knew the start of the race would be wet so there would be a lot of spray down the main straight, adding a nice graphical effect to otherwise straight panning shots. Only a couple of laps in and Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo came past side by side. It’s great to see the classic McLaren vs Ferrari battle being renewed and the spray added to the dramatic effect. Shame there wasn’t a single frame where both the cars’ red lights were on… Where Istanbul, Turkey When 15:04pm,…

We’re now allowed onto the grid again, and I’ve been trying to make the most of it. For wet races the team erects a gazebo over the car on the grid to keep the electronics dry, and this creates an unusual lighting effect which I wanted to capture. It’s quite dark and moody, with the highlights picked out by the available light. It’s standard procedure for the mechanics to attach blowers filled with dry ice to keep the car cool, and perhaps because of the atmospheric conditions there was quite a lot of vapour in the air. I went for a low angle, side-on, and Lance kept his visor shut, which I think adds a kind of gladiatorial aspect to this shot. Where Istanbul, Turkey When 14:31pm, Sunday 10 October 2021 Details Canon EOS R5…

Since Istanbul Park isn’t the most photogenic of circuits in terms of background – it’s out in a fairly nondescript area of countryside and the trackside infrastructure looks a bit cluttered – you tend to look for areas where the cars are running under duress. This angle, at the exit of the final corner, makes use of the kerb and track to give a graphic composition. This weekend wasn’t a great one for McLaren since the nature of the track didn’t really suit the car, so the drivers were hustling to find lap time wherever they could. Both the drivers were leaning on the cars noticeably more than their rivals here, going wider and tearing off chunks of red and white paint. Where Istanbul, Turkey When 15:30pm, Friday 9 October 2021 Details Nikon D6…

As a sports photographer you always aspire to be in the right place at the right time to capture a decisive moment. Naturally it doesn’t always happen because sport can be so gloriously random, but at other times that same unpredictability gives you a bit of a free gift. Towards the end of the race, when the order looks set, you tend to make your way to a place where you can get an angle on the parc fermé celebrations. In Sochi there’s a grandstand opposite the pits where you can get a bit of elevation which also gives a good perspective on any pitstops – and there were plenty of those in the final minutes, including the race-winning one for Lewis Hamilton. Where Sochi, Russia When 16:26pm, Sunday 26 September 2021 Details Canon…