Czech President Attends F1 Race… as a Photographer

It’s well-known that U.S. President Donald Trump likes to play golf throughout his downtime, however the Czech Republic President Petr Pavel likes to {photograph} motorsports on his weekends.

Pavel was noticed at this weekend’s Formula 1 race in Budapest, Hungary, the place he wore a photographer’s jacket so he might take footage trackside, only a few toes from the automobiles.

The Czech president had a safety element alongside him within the pit lane as he chatted with Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, F1’s governing physique.

Reddit customers have been quick to point out that Pavel was utilizing each Canon and Nikon digital camera methods, which is blasphemy, based on some.

Pavel was accompanied by Czech photographer Jiri Krenek, who was out trackside with him taking pictures of the automobiles as they whizzed by.

It shouldn’t be the primary time that Pavel has rocked up at a high-profile motorsports occasion; final yr the president attended a MotoGP race, motorcycling’s premium racing class, in Brno, a metropolis in Czechia.

He has additionally photographed the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, the place he additionally determined to camp like a daily spectator. The pictures he took there have been later exhibited on the National Technical Museum in Prague.

“Motorsport is a fascinating world and I am glad that I can not only watch it, but also record it in some way and share it with others. I hope that my photographs will bring the beauty and challenge of this legendary race closer to the audience,” Pavel mentioned on the launch of the exhibit in March, 2025.

Pavel shouldn’t be the one politician to have proven an curiosity within the different aspect of the digital camera: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is believed to have been within the artwork of pictures, and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan generally shares a few of his pictures on official channels.

Pavel has not shared any of his pictures on his Instagram web page, so the president seems to be taking pictures purely for his personal enjoyment.

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