Czech president works as accredited F1 photographer

Czech president Petr Pavel spent the Hungarian GP working as an ordinary accredited photographer at the Hungaroring.

The 64-year-old motorsport and photography enthusiast carried his own camera equipment and photographed the race from trackside rather than attending only in an official capacity.

According to L’Equipe, Pavel was welcomed in the paddock by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, but otherwise appeared alongside the circuit’s regular photographers.

The former chairman of NATO’s Military Committee also attended the Le Mans 24 Hours in June and photographed the Dakar Rally in 2025.

Some of his Dakar images were later exhibited at Prague’s National Technical Museum.