Viewing entries in
Formula 1
Jenson Button leaves the garage in Barcelona, Spain during the 2013 F1 Winter Testing Session (Jamey Price/James Moy Photography)The following is special guest editorial by Jamey Price, a professional motorsports photo journalist who is passionate about Formula 1. Jamey has photographed Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR and other sports car series; for more of his stunning images, visit www.JameyPricePhoto.com.
Having covered one of last year's Barcelona tests and the inaugural Formula One Grand Prix in Austin last February and November, respectively, I was far less intimidated walking into the paddock for the first of the Barcelona pre-season tests at Circuit de Catalunya.
As a photographer, I have grown a lot since last February when I had my first chance to cover F1 testing. I shot almost an entire year of racing during 2012 in five different countries covering eleven different series. I felt far more prepared this year. I knew the track well, and I knew my own capabilities more than I did last year. It was like starting fresh again.
What I love about Formula One is that they will pretty much run the cars in any weather condition. My job as a photographer has been called "cushy" by one particular F1 blog, however, I assure you it is anything but. When everyone else is wrapped up around a heater with dry clothes on, the photographers are out in the cold and freezing rain making interesting images that tell stories. They don't just appear on the web or in print without someone breaking their back to make them. It is grueling hours in sometimes arduous conditions but I wouldn't trade those days for the world.
I am at peace when shooting Formula One cars screaming around the first corner and up the hill, listening to who has their foot planted on the pedal and who is lifting off a little bit. The devil is always in the details, and the details in Formula One are ENDLESS. And that makes our job capturing it all, immensely gratifying and fun.
Enjoy my images from the first Barcelona pre-season test. More to come next week!
Jackie Stewart and Emerson Fittipaldi at the red carpet special presenations of "1" at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas on November 15, 2012. CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR THE COMPLETE GALLERY.
The following is by AGP contributor Scooter Womack. Scooter is an active participant in the Austin motorsports scene and attended the premiere of "1" as the kick off to the F1 festivities in Austin, Texas for Grand Prix weekend.
So there they were standing on stage performing like a seasoned comedy act that had been from city to city performing and entertaining for years. Even though they got plenty of laughs and chuckles from the crowd, they aren’t comedians, though they have plenty of experience with taking their show on the road—or track I might say. I’m referring to Sir Jackie Stewart and Emerson Fittipaldi. They are racing legends and even more iconic and revered by racing insiders for their roles in shaping the sport we see today. However on this night they were readying the crowd for an incredibly well done film. They made us laugh, told us we might cry, and reminded us all why we love Formula 1.
It’s an experience I’ll not soon forget. As an existing fan of Formula 1 I must say it was quite surreal to be in the same airspace with men like Bernie Ecclestone, Sir Jackie, Emerson, Damon Hill, Eddie Jordan, and many others—literally sharing the same aisle and after party table with some. But when you clear away all the pomp and circumstance that tags along with Formula 1 they’re just people. In my experience, if you extend a hand, they’ll extend it back. They’ll have a drink with you and partake in some chips and guacamole if you like. The thing I’ll remember most about the night won’t be how revered and how high on a pedestal we all hold these men. It will be, rather, how grounded, down to earth, and approachable these men are when you greet them as men, not masters.
The 1996 Melbourne Grand Prix is where the film “1” opens with a bang. I sat there watching, knowing what was about to come, and my heart was still pounding. Martin Brundle’s Jordan flies into the air, flips, lands upside down, and slams into the wall. Everyone expects the worst. After all it was only two years before that Ayrton Senna died in an accident that didn’t look nearly this bad. However, because of the sacrifices and stands taken by Brundle’s predecessors to push the pace of safety as well as quicker track times, he runs back to the pits and hops in a spare car. “1” shares the story of how the sport got where we are today. It’s a story that should be known by all F1 fans.
"1" is a high octane, action documentary that combines never-before-seen archive footage with a rich soundtrack and the most impressive list of Formula 1 interviewees ever assembled, including 12 World Champions past and present. Exclusive Media’s Spitfire Pictures hosted the red carpet special presentation of "1" as the kick off to the F1 festivities in Austin, TX on Thursday November 15th, 2012.
Directed by Paul Crowder and written by Mark Monroe, the film brings the glamour, speed, danger and excitement of Formula One Grand Prix racing to the big screen. "1" tells the story of the golden age of F1, when the sport became terrifyingly dangerous and the drivers were like rock stars with charisma and raw talent, but with many of them paying the ultimate price. “1” follows the story of the drivers who raced on the edge and those who stood up to change the sport forever. It is about the greatest show on earth - Formula 1.
In attendance at the Austin red carpet event were: Bernie Ecclestone, CEO and President of F1 Management & F1 Administration; Brett Lunger, Former F1 Driver; Damon Hill, Former F1 Driver; Emerson Fittipaldi, Former F1 Driver; Eric Boullier, Principal of Lotus F1 and Vice Chairman of the F1 Teams Association; Martin Brundle, Former F1 Driver; Sir Jackie Stewart, Former F1 Driver; Paul Crowder, “1” Director; Mark Monroe, “1” Writer; Michael Shevloff, “1” Producer; Guy East, “1” Executive Producer; and Glen Zipper, “1” Executive Producer.
Will Buxton, Pit Lane Reporter for SPEED TV, presents a TW Steel watch to Elle Cayabyab Gitlin, female karaoke winner at Buxton's BIG TIME Bash
On the Friday of Grand Prix weekend in Austin, Texas, Austin Grand Prix teamed up with SPEED TV's Will Buxton to host a night of celebration, honoring the kick-off of Formula 1 in Austin while raising support for the Austin non-profit, Meals on Wheels and More. The event was a huge success with a packed house at Fado Irish Pub that ran well into the night.
Nicole and Thad of Meals on Wheels and More accept a donation from Buxton's BIG TIME BashBuxton's BIG TIME Bash was an amazing fundraising opportunity for Meals on Wheels. Guests were asked to donate $5 at the door and all parties involved were astounded with the final amount - AGP wrote a check for $2,135.25 and dropped it off with Thad Rosenfeld, Director of Communications for Meals on Wheels and More, and Nicole Sarkar, Director of Development, on the Wednesday before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Thad Rosenfeld, Director of Communications for Meals on Wheels and More, had this to share:
"In addition to being the best source in Austin for all things related to motorsports, the Austin Grand Prix is also an outstanding community partner. AGP is always looking for innovative ways to help Meals on Wheels and More in our mission to provide life-sustaining services for the home bound and other people in need."
The night wouldn't have been a success without Will Buxton, who MC'ed the entire evening, welcoming and chatting up fans, posing for photos and even performing his own renditions of David Bowie's Heroes and Robbie Williams' Me & My Monkey. A number of daring souls took to the stage and a few even gave Will a run for his money: Fado employee Ali sang the unedited versoin of Cee Lo Green's Forget You, female karaoke contest winner Elle Cayabyab Gitlin dedicated Nobody Does it Better to Will, and male karaoke winner Warren Peck serenaded AGP's Kerri Olsen with Prince's Kiss.
Will summed up the evening rather well:
Will Buxton in Austin, Texas. Photo by Nicholle Jaramillo.
"What an amazing night, and what a fantastic figure to see go to Meals on Wheels. I've got to admit, even with the huge numbers of people who pre-registered, it was still a wonderful shock to see so many people turn out at Fado for Buxton's BIG TIME Bash. I hope we did what we set out to do, which was to welcome Austin to Formula 1, celebrate the sport's return to the USA, sing some songs, drink some beer and raise some money for a worthy cause. From the reaction of everyone who turned up on the night, the atmosphere in the bar, the many messages on twitter and now seeing this huge tally, I think we can safely say we ticked the boxes we'd hoped we would.
None of this would have happened without Kevin Olsen and Kerri Olsen. They have worked tirelessly behind the scenes ever since the race was first announced, in the first instance to even make sure the race happened at all. Without their tireless efforts, I doubt whether enough people would have been mobilised to see the race through the vital planning and funding stages. I hope when the lights went out on Sunday they felt rightfully proud of the job they had done, and which they had done for no motivation other than their love of the sport and of their city.
Buxton's BIG TIME Bash also could not have happened without them. Austin is their city and I want to thank them for recommending Fado and organising everything. I'd like to thank the folks at Fado for letting us use their premises, to Kevin and Kerri for making sure it ran so smoothly, to TW STEEL for providing the fabulous prizes for the karaoke competition and to all the fans who turned up, who made it such an enjoyable night, and who parted with their hard earned money at a time of economic belt tightening for us all, to raise so much money for such a great cause.
I hope this is the first of many years when we will be able to join together, celebrate, and benefit the local community."
In addition to the hundreds of fans that gathered at Fado to celebrate the return of F1 in America, members of the F1 paddock were also in attendance:
The night could not have gone off so well without the help of numerous AGP and Meals on Wheels and More volunteers. Thank you for volunteering your time to help welcome guests and distribute information about the good work Meals on Wheels does and how to stay connected with motorsports in Austin with AGP. Also, special thanks to Fado Irish Pub, Craig Steckbeck, Scooter Womack, Allison Berguin and Karl and Debbie Olsen!
If you have images you would like to add, please email us.
Grammy-Award winning musician Enrique Iglesias performs at the COTA Club in Austin on November 17, 2012. Photo by AGP Street Team Member Jenny Tavarez.
Following a great first night with Flo Rida at Austin Fan Fest, the AGP Street Team continued their coverage of F1 Weekend activities with Enrique Iglesias and Nelly at the COTA Club on Saturday, Nov 17th.
Enjoy this video as Nicholle and the AGP Street Team explore the COTA Club and talk with fans following the energizing performances of the two Grammy Award-Winning musicians on the eve of the 2012 USGP.
Video credit: Nicholle Jaramillo (Editor, Producer and Interviewer), Kenneth Eke (Production Assistant) and Jenny Tavarez (Content Contributor).
