F1, a president as a photographer: the case of Petr Pavel
Those who work in the F1 paddock know they can find any personality: from team principals to drivers, from athletes to executives, from journalists to more or less glamorous VIPs. Finding a head of state, moreover dressed as a photographer, had not yet been part of the scenario. In Hungary, this was also seen: Petr Pavel attracted the attention of F1 fans by appearing not as the president of the Czech Republic, but as a photographer officially accredited by the FIA.
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On the Saturday of the Hungarian weekend, Pavel worked trackside alongside industry professionals and in particular the Czech photographer Jiří Křenek, documenting the Hungaroring weekend with his photographic equipment and once again demonstrating his great passion for motorsport, already evident from having followed the Brno MotoGP and Superbike races and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Although greeted by F1 president Stefano Domenicali and FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Pavel’s presence in Hungary was not just a simple institutional commitment. Equipped with press accreditation and professional photographic gear, the Czech president captured the action on track directly from the photographers’ reserved positions, experiencing the event as a true reporter.
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For Pavel, the passion for motorsport also has a social dimension. Some of his shots have in fact been exhibited in exhibitions (such as the National Technical Museum in Prague) and used for charitable initiatives. In 2025 he raised just under 30 thousand euros to donate to charity by auctioning off his album as an exceptional photographer of motorsport events.
