CAPTURING THE SPEED AND CULTURE OF THE TRACK

Four Days at Albert Park: Photographing the Start of a New F1 Era

There's something special about photographing Formula 1 in your home city. Albert Park is a place I know well, but for four days every March, it transforms into something completely different. The familiar parklands disappear behind grandstands, barriers and thousands of spectators, while the sound of Formula 1 engines takes over Melbourne.

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For the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, I committed to the full four-day experience, photographing the weekend from two locations: the newly introduced Oscar Piastri Grandstand on the main straight and the Prost Grandstand overlooking the final corner at Turn 14.

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Both presented very different photographic opportunities. From Piastri, the long straight, pit complex and surrounding grandstands provided a real sense of the scale of the event. Prost offered a more technical perspective, with cars navigating the final corner before accelerating towards the start-finish line.

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As a photographer, I enjoy the challenge of finding strong images within the limitations of a fixed position. You can't simply relocate to another corner when the light changes or the background isn't working. You have to study the cars, anticipate their movements and make the most of the opportunities in front of you.

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The weather was largely kind to Melbourne, with mild conditions through practice and qualifying giving way to a warmer, dry race day. The changing light across Albert Park offered its own opportunities to experiment with shutter speeds, motion and composition.

On track, the opening round of Formula 1's new technical era delivered plenty of talking points. George Russell secured pole position ahead of Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli, but much of the home crowd's attention was naturally on Oscar Piastri.

Unfortunately, the Australian's race ended before it began.

 

A crash at Turn 4 on his way to the starting grid brought a heartbreaking end to his home Grand Prix. It was an extraordinary development before the first racing lap had even been completed.

Sunday's race still produced some entertaining battles, particularly between Mercedes and Ferrari. Charles Leclerc made an aggressive start to take the lead, but Mercedes ultimately prevailed, with Russell claiming victory ahead of Antonelli. Leclerc completed the podium, followed by Lewis Hamilton in fourth.

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For me, four days at Albert Park reinforced something I've come to appreciate about motorsport photography: access and proximity are only part of the equation. Understanding the sport, anticipating the action and recognising a strong composition are equally important.

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Some of the photographs I'm most interested in making aren't necessarily about the race winner. They're about speed, colour, movement and the atmosphere that surrounds the event.

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The 2026 Australian Grand Prix was an opportunity to continue developing that approach while documenting the opening chapter of a new Formula 1 season, right here in Melbourne.