Feature

Shutter Speed: 2022 Spanish Grand Prix

This week's Shutter Speed takes us behind the scenes at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. A bright weekend of sun resulted in a beautiful gallery of images from Formula One's finest photographers.

Barcelona is a mainstay in F1 through the Spanish Grand Prix and pre-season testing, meaning photographers have to get creative to find new ways of capturing the spirit of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Join Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One™ Team and Motorsport Images photographer Zak Mauger as he explains the details that created a stunning array of images.

Shot on a Canon 1DX Mark II with a 600mm lens

"The bright sun leads to great opportunities to play with different light balances around the track.

"Exposing the image for the darker shadows creates this unique, high-key shot as the car comes under the pedestrian bridge at Turn Six.

"The bridge was just the right width so the whole car is in the shadow, meaning the bright highlights in the image are completely blown out."

Shot on a Canon 1DX Mark II with a 70-200mm lens

"The umbrellas of the fans protecting themselves from the heat on the hillside helped to create this colourful picture.

"I used a slow shutter speed to show the car's speed and create a blur of the fans.

"Spain was particularly hot this year so the fans are back in full force - it's not normally this busy until race day.

"This helps create some great atmospheric shots of the track."

Shot on a Canon 1DX Mark II with a 24mm lens

"I used a wide-angle lens focusing on Sebastian's hands to isolate the fan blowing dry ice into the cockpit to keep it cool.

"The angle also lets you see the track displayed on the steering wheel to give some behind-the-scenes insight into Sebastian's view.

"It gives an intimate view of the preparations before the race."

Shot on a Canon 1DX Mark II with a 16mm lens

"Excitingly, we had access to the roof of the Race Control tower on Friday.

"Obviously there are a lot of different angles you can get from up there.

"Here I decided to use a very wide-angle lens and a slow shutter speed to show Lance at pace along the pit straight."