Best F1 photo of the year: 2023 Season Review Awards
Which photograph jumps out in another year of striking F1 images?
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The speed and thrill of Formula 1 captured in the stillness of the perfect picture: 2023 has been a vintage year for grand prix photography, helped by the addition of a stunning new street circuit and a young generation of cars honed into aggressive ground effect machines
We’ve partnered with legendary racing photographer Paul-Henri Cahier to compose a shortlist featuring four of the best F1 pictures captured this year, with the virtuoso snapper explaining his choices.
Scroll down for more information on the contenders in each category, and vote for your choice as part of our Season Review Awards, where we are also asking you to nominate other highlights of the 2023 F1 season, including the best driver, team and overtake. Every voter will be entered into a draw to win two 2024 Goodwood Season Tickets worth more than £1900, which include general admission to every day of next year’s Members’ Meeting, Festival of Speed and Revival, as well as grandstand access.
• Season Review Awards: see full shortlist
Paul-Henri is the son of ground-breaking grand prix photographer Bernard Cahier, who made his name in racing’s ‘golden age’ of the ‘50s, ’60s, and ‘70s with close-up pictures taken amongst the heroes of the age: Fangio, Clark, Hill and countless others – the younger Cahier then established himself when turning pro in the early ‘80s.
Peter Fox, Getty Images
Yuki Tsunoda at Zandvoort
“OK, the composition here is perfect,” says Cahier. “You have the car, which is in the bottom right – and because these cars are monsters, the rooster tail is immense.
“You have the crowd too, but what you really notice, which is really fun, is the water in front of the car. It’s sparkling like snow, quite unusual.
“It’s just a lot of atmosphere, and it shows you how difficult conditions are when it rains.
“The rain subject is always a big one these days of Formula 1 – should we race or not? Should we drive behind the safety car?
“For a driver, it separates the adults from the children. For the photographer, it presents some of the best creative opportunities.”
Florent Gooden, DPPI
Charles Leclerc at Sakhir
“The reflections are wonderful. These days, you have quite a few night races, conditions where you have these changes in light. As a result, the photographer can now do things that you could never do before.
“This picture is typical of that, it really is aesthetically beautiful.
“The car, it’s not even shining, It’s glowing. But you have the sparks which help very dark backgrounds – completely graphic.
“It creates a very powerful atmosphere.”
Callo Albanese, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in Las Vegas
“A bit like when you take pictures on the grid in those 15 minutes before the start, there’s nothing else to bother you in this scenario. The drivers are there, and you can do something.
“This is actually quite interesting, because of the perspective of being high, you can see that the floor is moving.
“And of course, it’s Las Vegas. Where else are you going to have something like this? It’s a show, and this is typical of that.
“If you look around the edges, it seems like they are in a boxing arena – Vegas is obviously a centre of it.
“The drivers in their red match the floor – pretty striking.”
Florent Gooden, DPPI
Max Verstappen at Spa-Francorchamps
“We have a very graphic picture here, another by Florent Gooden – the problem is he’s too good!
“The picture is perfect – the photographer just snapped at exactly the right moment.
“You have the marks on the track caused by the plank underneath. [The apex] it’s like a paintbrush going off. The colours are beautiful, and it’s a great composition.
“It’s difficult to understand just how fast it is at the bottom of Eau Rouge. Photography will never render that – but this picture can give you can idea.
“Some places you love [to shoot at] because of the sensation you get, because it’s so spectacular. 130R at Suzuka, the exit of Casino in Monte Carlo, or this corner at Spa.”