Thumbs Up, Race Win Accomplished. Picture by Peter Backhurst
Back at Brands Hatch, I caught up with the father of Ryan Vickers, Paul. Outside the Kentagon (I was the one drinking, not Paul) we spoke about a great deal of things in what has been an incredible season for Ryan. The interview also took place just hours after Ryan had taken his first victory of the season, in a frantic Superstock 600 race. Here is what it has been like for the family-run team from Thetford, Norfolk.
“It’s phenomenal. We’ve known for a long time that Ryan has the pace and the talent and after a couple of knock backs in the season, he has shown in the final three races that he has what it takes. We decided to use our own bike from Oulton Park onwards and thankfully, Ryan has really gelled with it. We’ve never put Ryan under pressure and he just goes out and tries his best; most importantly, he enjoys his racing and enjoys being out on track,” began father Paul Vickers, who was once 3rd in the world wheelie championship.
“Alan carter has been an amazing mentor to Ryan. Alan has got his racing head on and he breathes every second of the weekend with us all and that is something that is hard to come by.
“We had the troubles at the start of the year but because I know what Ryan is like and what he’s been like all through his life, I never doubted his ability to bounce back. We knew that if we could give him a bike that works for him, he’d be winning races. I must admit though, I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to give him the bike – certainly not in the first year anyway. Having help from Ohlins has really transformed us and it made all the difference,” he continued.
Ryan Vickers’ first year was a success. After a difficult start to the season with another team, the team used their own bike and instantly, results came their way. Ryan crashed out of his home-race at Snetterton whilst battling for 2nd on the last lap, having come from as low as 10th. His first podium came at Silverstone, with 3rd in the race. Although he finished 2nd in the penultimate race, he, along with others, was disqualified. But the win finally came at Brands Hatch, under a sunny Autumn sky.
“Before we got Sam on board from Ohlins, I felt like I was letting him down. Ryan would come into the pits and basically say, ‘Dad, it’s doing this’ and I’d say, ‘I don’t know what to do mate.’ Now we have a couple of people on board that can react to what he is saying and turn it into an adjustment, there’s nothing stopping him.
“We will look at all the options over the Winter but our plan is National Superstock 600 again next season and to try and win the championship with the bike. We may try to buy another and just strip it down so we have spares because then at least he knows that if he writes the bike off, he has spares to keep racing with. If he had wrote his bike of at a point during any weekend this year, we’d be heading back home.
“Dave and Sue next door have been mega. Every single one of our sponsors have been mega – and I mean that; that isn’t me being PR but genuinely, without the help they provide, we wouldn’t have been able to go racing. even people who have chucked us a tenner here or a fiver there, we wouldn’t be here. Without the sponsors, we’d have had to make a lot of sacrifices. Work would’ve been harder, money would’ve been even harder too. We need more sponsors but with what we have, we can make it.
“With the package we have and the way we operate, I know that we have a bike and team that can win the title. People talking about us in a positive way helps us and spurs us all on; it builds your confidence and spirits and makes you believe what you may not have been able to believe before.”
The season finale for Formula One will take place in Abu Dhabi, the final race of the 2017 season will be held in Yas Marina Circuit this Sunday. A season which was very interesting if we consider that it was the first year that Mercedes worried about the championship, Ferrari considered as a difficult opponent for the Silver Arrows, but some poor judgements allowed Mercedes to seal the constructors’ title in COTA and the drivers’ championship in Mexico.
In Brazil, Valtteri Bottas secured the pole-position, but Sebastian Vettel took the lead on the opening lap and led till the chequered flag, it has been Ferrari’s first victory in Brazil since Massa’s victory in 2008. Kimi Raikkonen finished third, behind Bottas. It was Vettel’s fifth victory in 2017, four less than Lewis Hamilton, Vettel has almost secured the second place in the championship as he is 21 points ahead of Bottas with one race to go. In Brazil, Lewis Hamilton repeated an epic achievement which he firstly achieved in Hungary in 2014, the Brit started the race from the pits and managed to lead the race for a few laps.
Two DRS zones, one is located on the long straight between turn 7 and 8, the second zone is between turn 9 and 11. The average speeds on the track are around 190 m/h, while the top speeds are 325 km/h, the circuit is consisted by nine right turns and 12 left turns and the drivers are racing in an anti-clockwise direction.
Nico Hulkenberg – “The circuit itself is quite amazing and the facilities are really impressive. It’s a long lap with a weird rhythm so it’s key to get comfortable with the change of flow. The corners are a lot different to each other so it’s vital to find a good balance, get accustomed to the conditions and master it. Abu Dhabi is a really fun place for a season finale. I’ve finished in the top seven three times in the last three years so I’m looking forward to it and ready to fight for some points. The constructors’ championship will go down to the wire for sixth in Abu Dhabi and I’m really relishing the challenge. The track should suit us better than Interlagos. It’s the season finale, there’s plenty at stake and that makes me very excited.I head to Abu Dhabi hoping to score well. I want to kick back on Sunday night at Yas Marina with the team and celebrate a job well done.”
Pirelli has nominated the three softest compounds for the Abu Dhabi grand prix, soft, supersoft and ultrasoft tyres are available to the teams.
The ideal way to close the season is a battle between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull for the chequered flag in Yas Marina. The three teams have high chances to win the race and the track is ideal for close battles.
Here it is! Here’s our Mika Hakkinen special episode. We spent much of the last weekend with the Flying Finn as he visited India to promote his ‘Never Drink & Drive’ campaign. We had the former World Champion on our Facebook Live show as well on our podcast and yes, we did #JoinThePact in Hakkinen’s presence. Have you? go to https://www.liveinstyle.com/johnniewalkerthejourney
In this week’s special episode, we have Kunal speaking to Mika Häkkinen! He reviews the 2017 Formula 1 Season with Kunal. Listen to his views on the current superstar drivers (Hamilton, Vettel, Verstappen, etc.) and what he believes the future of his Finnish compatriots (Bottas & Raikkonen) will be. Also, what does he make of Fernando Alonso’s quest to be the ‘world’s best racer’?
Apart from the current season, we discuss Hakkinen’s career – his first win and what was his reaction when he lost most of his trophies to a house fire in 2008! Finally, could a Mclaren team management role, be on Hakkinen’s mind, and outside of Formula 1, who is his most challenging rival? Tune in!
Well, that was fantastic. #ElfynsCorner went down well indeed! The banner had gone up on Thursday afternoon in very foggy conditions! However, we woke on Friday morning to a beautiful morning. Having driven into the stage very late on Thursday night, we camped out in our cars. This was true rally life!
#ElfynsCorner, Myherin, Wales Rally GB, Thursday Afternoon Photo By Warren NelFriday morning, Myherin Stage. Photo by Warren Nel
Up on the hill, looking down on ElfynsCorner we positioned ourselves for the double running of Myherin. The crowd grew until there were hundreds of excited rally fans. There were ElfynsCorner stickers to sell, with the proceeds going to The Welsh Air Ambulance.
The members of the #ElfynsCorner group. Photo credit, Warren NelJust a few spectators overlooking #ElfynsCorner!! Photo credit, Warren Nel
During the afternoon, WRC TV came and interviewed Peter Jones, who had become the spokesman for the group. The second run of the stage was about to start, so they stayed and filmed the group when Elfyn and Dan were coming past. The excellent news of course, was that they had increased their overall lead at the end of the stage. The group were very happy indeed!
Peter Jones being interviewed by WRC TV Photo credit, Warren NelNeal Parry, Elfyns Cafe, #ElfynsCorner Photo credit, Warren NelThe #ElfynsCorner group. Photo Credit, Warren Nel
Of course, Elfyn and Dan went on to take their first WRC victory!
Elfyn and Dan hold the Peall Trophy!Elfyn Evans and Dan Barritt. Photo credit, Warren Nel
Fast forward a couple of weeks and the money collected was handed over to The Welsh Air Ambulance. With the sales of the #ElfynsCorner stickers both before and during Friday, £400.63 was raised!
It was given to them yesterday when Sam Walker visited their base.
Wales Air Ambulance. Photo credit, Sam WalkerJust some of the #ElfynsCorner group, Phil, Sam, Lee and Steve. Photo credit, Warren Nel
Next year, ElfynsCorner will be run again at Wales Rally GB! I suspect it will be even bigger!
Danilo Petrucci finished the 2017 MotoGP season with a 13th place in the race, giving him 8th overall in the championship. He finished as the top ‘Independent’ Ducati, 49 points ahead of next best Ducati rider, Alvaro Bautista, whilst finishing just 13 points behind Jorge Lorenzo of the factory team.
“It was a season full of satisfaction. We have experienced great emotions that I will remember forever,” said the Italian, who took four podiums throughout a highly successful campaign for Paolo Campinoti’s team.
“I have an extraordinary team that I want to thank for the work done throughout the season. A special dedication to all those who have contributed to achieving these results,” he concluded.
Petrucci finished the season with a superb four podiums – more than Jorge Lorenzo in the Factory team. The Italian also had four front row starts, however, there were no poles.
Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson entered the record books as the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden driver won the first ever World RX event staged in Africa.
Former World RX Champion Mattias Ekstrom finished third and consequently secured the runner-up spot in the 2017 championship after a season-long battle with Petter Solberg. Team Peugeot-Hansen’s Timmy Hansen claimed second at this weekend’s Gumtree World RX of South Africa – the 12th and final round of this year’s FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy.
(c) 2017 – Junaid Samodien
In the final round of the RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires Frenchman Cyril Raymond rounded off a near-perfect season by taking his sixth win in the highly competitive seven-event feeder series. Great Britain’s Dan Rooke had a troubled final when he rolled his car on lap two, causing the race to be red-flagged. Despite this mishap, Rooke secured second in the 2017 standings. Sondre Evjen and Tanner Whitten finished second and third in Cape Town. Belgium’s Guillaume De-Ridder claimed third in the end of year leaderboard.
(c) 2017 – Junaid Samodien
“It’s fantastic to wrap up the teams’ and drivers’ championship and to also take the win at the final round of the season,” grinned 2017 World RX Champion Kristoffersson who won a staggering seven out of 12 events this season. “The team has worked so hard this year and ten podium results is credit to how fantastic everyone has been. Obviously to break records in World RX is an amazing feeling but to have won the World Championship is so unbelievably special. It was a good weekend all round – I had a slow puncture in the semi-final but I got a really good launch in the final and when I got clear space I was able to manage the gap back from Timmy and Mattias, as well as manage the tyres well. Thanks to everyone for such a memorable season – I’m really looking forward to being back with VW in 2018.”
(c) 2017 – Junaid Samodien
Runner-up Hansen added: “This has been one of the best weekends I’ve had this year and it’s great to finish on a high including my two qualifying wins. I really wanted to take the victory for Peugeot and this weekend we were so close – I gave it everything I had in the final but I lost a little bit too much in the first lap to be able to get ahead of Johan. The 208 has been fantastic all year and it worked especially well at this track.”
(c) 2017 – Junaid Samodien
Ekstrom’s reactions were fastest of today’s six finalists, rewarding him with the final Monster Energy Super Charge Award of 2017. Despite losing his World RX crown to Kristoffersson, Ekstrom praised the new World Champion. “Sometimes you’re in front and sometime you’re behind – that’s just how it goes and Johan definitely deserves the win today and the World Championship too. Timmy was really fast this weekend too, but to be honest, everybody wants to win – World RX has now reached a level where everyone will battle for everything.”
(c) 2017 – Junaid Samodien
When asked about the new Cape Town RX event, Ekstrom praised the enthusiasm of the South African fans. “The grandstands were full this weekend and the atmosphere and support from everyone here was amazing.”
(c) 2017 – Junaid Samodien
Solberg finished fourth in Cape Town and finished the season third in the driver standings – five points adrift of Ekstrom. “Of course it’s a little bit disappointing not to take the silver,” admitted Solberg. “I am so proud of what we have done. Johan has broken so many records this year and the whole team, everybody in PSRX Volkswagen Sweden has worked and played so hard – this weekend and this year is because of them and I can’t thank them all enough.”
(c) 2017 – Junaid Samodien
MJP Racing Team Austria’s Timo Scheider’s rounded out the top five in Cape Town after an impressive rookie season at the wheel of his Ford Fiesta. Kevin Hansen finished sixth, the Swede having retired shortly after the start with transmission problems.
(c) 2017 – Junaid Samodien
In what marked the final event for the Hoonigan Racing Division, America’s Ken Block showed fantastic pace. He led the event overnight and finished second in semi-final one but was later disqualified as his car was found to be underweight.
(c) 2017 – Junaid Samodien
Nine-time WRC Champion Sebastien Loeb retired on the final lap of the second semi-final but rounded off the season fourth in the overall standings – 13 points ahead of his team-mate Hansen who ends the year in fifth place.
Home favourites Mark Cronje and Ashley Haigh-Smith received tremendous support on their World RX debuts but neither driver made the semi-finals.
(c) 2017 – Junaid Samodien
Paul Bellamy, World RX Managing Director for IMG, concluded: “Our first ever event in Cape Town was a resounding success – we’ve had over 27,000 people at Killarney this weekend and they were all treated to World Championship motorsport at its best. I think we’ve won over a lot of new support during our time in South Africa and the crowd really helped make this weekend a memorable event. Tickets for 2018 are on sale from tomorrow which will give people plenty of time to plan next year’s rallycross weekend. I’d like to thank the organisers and volunteers for all their hard work in putting on a great event and also to the City of Cape Town for its support in making this happen. I’m also very thankful that our sponsors and other commercial partners shared our vision and were so supportive of the inaugural Gumtree World RX of South Africa. This weekend was just the start of what I hope is a long and fruitful relationship for World RX in South Africa. We finish the season on a high and congratulations to Johan Kristoffersson and PSRX Volkswagen Sweden for their incredible season and to the rest of the teams for their continued support.”
RX2 – ROUND-UP
Cyril Raymond completed a sensational season in the RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires with a hard-fought victory at Killarney International Raceway this weekend (11/12 November), as South Africa played host to a pulsating finale that served up lap after lap of spectacular high-octane action.
He might have been unquestionably the man to beat this year in the official FIA World Rallycross Championship feeder series, but Raymond found himself with a real fight on his hands in Cape Town and had to dig deep to overcome the challenge posed by JC Raceteknik rival Guillaume De Ridder, who dominated Saturday’s Qualifying Races.
The Belgian looked to be on-course for a fourth straight runner-up finish, only for engine woes to dash his hopes in the final and elevate his team-mate Sondre Evjen into second place. Tanner Whitten joined the young Norwegian on the podium in third after surviving a wild spin when he was tagged on the opening lap of Q4.
Qualifying Races
Gumtree World RX of South Africa was very much a weekend of two halves as far as the Qualifying Races were concerned, with De Ridder proving to be peerless on Saturday as he impressively took a clean sweep of fastest times – meaning that for the first time since Mettet back in May, a different name topped the RX2 Intermediate Rankings at the close of day one.
After uncharacteristically jumping the start in Q1, Raymond was playing catch-up, but the Olsbergs MSE star really turned up the wick on Sunday and allied to a double dose of misfortune for De Ridder – with contact from behind in Q3 and minor wheel damage in Q4 – his results vaulted the Frenchman to his habitual position at the summit of the standings.
Behind the top two, Evjen produced a consistently strong run – including the second-fastest time in Q4 – to place third, ahead of the ever-improving Vasiliy Gryazin (Latvia), Britain’s Dan Rooke and American ace Whitten. Swedes Simon Olofsson and Andreas Bäckman, Norway’s Thomas Holmen, Swedish teenager William Nilsson, Anders Michalak (Sweden) and Norwegian Simon Syversen rounded out the semi-final line-up.
Semi-Finals
From pole position in Semi-Final 1, Raymond led into the first corner as a squabble behind gifted him a sizeable margin. It was Rooke that emerged from the mêlée in second, with Olofsson third and Evjen dropping to fourth. The Norwegian subsequently found himself having to fend off fast-starting compatriot Thomas Holmen over the opening lap before electing to take an early joker. It was a tactic that would pay off richly.
As Raymond raced clear to a runaway success, Evjen’s eye-catching pace enabled him to leapfrog both Rooke and Olofsson when they jokered, the latter paying the price for getting his car up on two wheels as he pushed hard in an effort to stay in front. The Swede ultimately missed out on the final by less than two seconds, while behind, Holmen and Syversen waged their own entertaining duel over fifth, exchanging places twice on the last lap before the older of the two Norwegians eventually prevailed.
In Semi-Final 2, De Ridder held his ground at the start as Gryazin got the better of Whitten and Michalak for second and Bäckman and Nilsson disputed fifth. Whitten jumped Gryazin after both had served their jokers, following which he unleashed a scintillating turn-of-speed as he endeavoured to hunt down De Ridder, closing to within three-quarters-of-a-second by the time the chequered flag fell. Michalak got the best of a tooth-and-nail scrap with countrymen Nilsson and Bäckman for fourth.
Final
Raymond led away at lights-out, with De Ridder doing well to save a slide through Turn One after receiving a tap. The Belgian had to fight hard to fend off the attacking Whitten, but it all became academic when the red flags flew on lap two after Rooke’s world turned upside-down – quite literally. The Briton clipped the tyres at the chicane, pitching him into a dramatic roll from which he thankfully emerged unscathed.
The recently-crowned champion got the jump again at the re-start, as De Ridder slotted in behind and Gryazin took advantage of Whitten and Evjen battling to sneak through to third. As dust clouds billowed all around the circuit, Raymond made good his escape and De Ridder similarly settled into second until he suddenly stopped on the penultimate lap with engine issues.
His loss was Evjen and Whitten’s gain. The pair both used early jokers to get some clear air, and that paid dividends as they overhauled Gryazin to snare the remaining rostrum positions. All three podium-finishers stopped after the chequered flag to perform celebratory donuts, to the palpable delight of the enthusiastic crowds thronging the circuit grandstands.
Quote, Unquote
Cyril Raymond (1st): “It’s been an amazing weekend to cap an amazing year – there’s no better way to end a season than with a victory. It was fantastic to see so many people at Killarney and so much passion and support in the grandstands. It was an absolute pleasure to be here and everybody gave us an incredible welcome. With the title already won, I really wanted to finish the season in style with one last victory – as a competitor, that’s always the goal – although things didn’t begin too well when I jumped the start in Q1, which was a first for me in this category! After that, I had to battle my way back, but it wasn’t easy because Guillaume [De Ridder] was driving perfectly; he has been a formidable rival all year, and if he returns in 2018, he will be a real threat. We were on the back foot at the end of the first day, but we remained confident because we knew we had the pace and we quickly rediscovered our rhythm in Q3. The boys at Olsbergs MSE worked really hard and provided me with the tools I needed to do the job like they have done all year, and my spotter ‘Scooter’ gave me perfect guidance throughout, so this result is for all of them – we win together. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my experience in RX2; there has been a lot of respect between all the drivers all season both on the track and in the paddock, and it’s been great to be a part of it. There seems to be a real buzz around the championship and even more interest for next year, so I can’t wait to see how it develops.”
Sondre Evjen (2nd): “It’s been a fantastic experience to come and race in South Africa – a real highlight for me – and it feels great to finally finish on the podium in RX2! It’s been a long time coming and it’s the kind of result we’ve been chasing all year, so this is the perfect way to end the season. We’ve been quick at most circuits and made the semi-final five times before now but only once converted that into a final appearance, so I’m really happy that we were at last able to prove what we are capable of, as we showed with the second-fastest time after getting a clear run in Q4. We really had to fight for this result, and I must admit, I wasn’t sorry to see the final red-flagged as I lost a lot of time when Dan [Rooke] rolled and thought any chance of the podium was gone. I’m also obviously very relieved he is ok. All credit to the team for giving me a great car all weekend – this podium is for them, my family and my sponsors, and it leaves us with a lot of motivation heading into 2018.”
Tanner Whitten (3rd): “The weekend started out pretty well, and from there, we worked our way consistently up the timesheets. We set the car up to come on later in the semi-final, and I think that showed as we were particularly strong in the latter stages. That put us in a good position going into the final and I actually thought we had an opportunity to take second until the red flags came out, but ultimately, to finish on the podium is always a great result. I take my hat off to the organisers in Cape Town – they did a fantastic job to build a track that played to the strengths of a variety of different driving styles – and the fans gave us a phenomenal welcome. It was incredible to see so many people in the grandstands and at the autograph sessions – there was a huge turnout for the first edition, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the event grows. Overall for me, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster year, but to come away with four podiums is very positive and I’m looking forward now to taking this momentum into the off-season and hopefully 2018.”
Andreas Eriksson, RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires CEO: “We promised the South African people excitement and drama, and I think it’s safe to say our RX2 stars delivered every step of the way! Congratulations to Cyril, who produced a champion’s drive even when he no longer had anything to prove. He is a class act and wherever he competes next year – be it RX2 or elsewhere – we wish him the very best. I was delighted, too, to see Sondre up on the podium, which was thoroughly well-deserved after a superb performance. It was a shame that his team-mate Guillame was forced out through no fault of his own, but he clearly demonstrated on Saturday that his time will come. Likewise for Tanner – both are part of the new generation of young rallycross talents looking to follow in Cyril’s footsteps. Finally, what a wonderful place to conclude the season – South Africa has truly embraced our sport and gave us the very warmest of welcomes. We look forward to returning next year, as both the event and RX2 go from strength-to-strength.”
Final Result
Cyril RAYMOND (FRA) Olsbergs MSE 6 laps
Sondre EVJEN (NOR) JC Raceteknik +5.668s
Tanner WHITTEN (USA) Olsbergs MSE +6.198s
Vasiliy GRYAZIN (LVA) Sports Racing Technologies +7.374s
Guillaume DE RIDDER (BEL) JC Raceteknik +2 laps
Dan ROOKE (GBR) Team Färén +6 laps
Final Championship Standings – RX2
Cyril Raymond (FRA) 198 points
Dan Rooke (GBR) 154 points
Guillaume De Ridder (BEL) 138 points
Tanner Whitten (USA) 105 points
William Nilsson (SWE) 98 points
Simon Olofsson (SWE) 98 points
Vasiliy Gryazin (LVA) 94 points
Sondre Evjen (NOR) 93 points
Glenn Haug (NOR) 76 points
Andreas Bäckman (SWE) 69 points
Penalties
World RX
Niclas Gronholm #68, loss of 10 Championship points for use of a seventh turbocharger in the season.
Mattias Ekstrom #1, five-second penalty in Q2 for causing an incident with car #44, pushing and overtaking.
Janis Baumanis #6, reprimand in Q2 for pushing.
Ken Block #43, disqualified from semi-final two after car was found to be underweight.
Mattias Ekstrom #1, relegated from second to third place in semi-final one for not respecting the priority of the driver on the standard lap at the Joker merge.
Timo Schedier #44, reprimand in semi final two for pushing.
RX2
William Nilsson #6, five-second penalty in Q3 for causing an incident with car #96.
Marc Marquez has praised his Honda team after taking their 4th MotoGP Championship together. The Spaniard almost threw away the championship with another front end moment at turn 1, however, he saved the big from crashing, running through the gravel to rejoin in 5th.
“I’m living a dream. ‘Six Titles’ are big words. The truth is that I’m incredibly happy because we worked so much this year and today the race was incredibly tense and exciting—a bit ‘Marquez Style.’ I made a mistake, but I also made my best save of the year. From that moment on, I just tried to finish the race in a good position.
“I’m sorry that Andrea didn’t finish the race, as he deserved to do so. He had an incredible season and I would have liked to have him on the podium with me today. The key to the year has been our mentality. In our world, it’s very important to remain positive and motivated during the difficult moments. Some things happened to us at the beginning of the season but when we found the way to sort things out, everything went better.
“Congratulations to Honda and the entire team for the Triple Crown. It’s an amazing achievement. Winning the title at the last race of the season in front of our fans is one of the best things possible. Now I want to enjoy this with my entire team and my family and after that, we’ll start to work for next year.”
The result means that ever since joining the MotoGP class, Marquez has been on the podium. He is the youngest rider to win six championships and is the first rider to win four championships for Repsol Honda.
Faster and faster… F1 cars are constantly going faster. It is really hard to catch them and show the shape of them. Vladimir Rys, multiple award winning photographer and f-stop gear ambassador who works on the F1 grid, has been doing it perfectly for many years. You can see his full portfolio on the site – vladimirrys.com
Photography is a vital part of media coverage in not only Formula One, but motorsports and indeed sports in general. Vladmir has been on the grid since 2005, and throughout the years he has been snapping images of some of Formula One’s finest moments.
In his fast-paced world Vladimir managed to find a moment for a conversation. In this interview he answers questions asked by Julia Paradowska.
(The interview took a place on 13rd of November before the Brazilian GP.)
Julia Paradowska: Cameras and lenses are heavy. Do you need to go to the gym to be able to have enough power to carry them?
Vladimir Rys: Sure, you have to stay fit. I carry around the track about 20kg’s of equipment with me so I have to stay fit. Tracks like Singapore or Malaysia demand a lot of physical effort from us mainly due to climate conditions, so it’s very important to stay fit and strong. I have a personal trainer back home and I go running quite regularly.
JP: There are only two races left. What moment of 2017 came as a surprise for you?
VR: I would say Max Verstappen’s rising star is not really a surprise after his brilliant driving last year, but for me it’s probably still the biggest positive out of all this season. F1 needs drivers like Verstappen, Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Ricciardo… It’s all about winning at the end of the day. The heritage that these kind of drivers leave behind is enormous. That is the DNA of F1, that is what F1 is about.
JP: What race did you attend for the first time as the photographer?
VR: Australia 2005 was my first race. I had no idea what to expect, but with the first smell of the tyres, the petrol and the V8 engine’s terrifying sound I was instantly sucked into it. I remember standing next to a car in the pitlane and the whole ground was vibrating, same as my clothing I was wearing, to me that was just something I haven’t experienced before. From a photographic point of view a brand new world has opened right in front of my eyes. I suddenly had a playground I could play at. I was excited to dive into this new world with my camera and with eyes wide open I started exploring my new creative limits. I have experienced a new creative boost that would put my photography on a new level again. I didn’t need to sit and wait for the picture like you have to do when shooting football, I went and found the picture my self.
JP: Which photo (that you’ve taken) is your favourite?
VR: I have a few photos I like, but I always believe the next one will be my best one.
JP: What car (since you started working) is the most photogenic for you?
VR: Probably this year’s cars I would say. They are just beautiful. Even with the shark fins they look amazing on the track. Best looking cars for me this year would be Toro Rosso, Mercedes and Red Bull of course. The RB13 with it’s highly saturated colours, the matt look and it’s beautiful shape just stands out. It’s a perfection of it’s self.
JP: Do you have other hobbies?
VR: Away from the track I love sports, reading books and outdoor life like camping and drinking coffee with friends.
Credit: Vladimir Rys / Red Bull Content Pool
JP: You opened an exhibition in Amsterdam in September. Why did you call it ‘Gravity‘?
VR: The title came to our minds after we spoke a lot about my work and the exhibition with my curator Yael van der Lek from Amsterdam. She said to me „when I look at your images, it seems to me almost like the cars are levitating in space, like they would be detached from gravity forces and freely move in space“. That was it, the title was out.
JP: Who was your photography guru?
VR: No one really. I had one or two names I looked up to as a young photographer, but it wasn’t any of the world famous names of photography we all know. I remember a photographer called Jiri Pekarek. Czech photographer, who although he worked as a sports photographer had a different approach of telling a story with a completely different image. It wasn’t the podiums or goals, it was a dejection of an athlete, a behind the scenes shot, a detail that he said the story with. Very emotional images. His eye fascinated me in my early days and I feel influenced by him a lot. From there on I have really followed anything that had something to do with photography or arts. You can get inspired from anything, not just photography, but also music, a movie or even a book can inspire you. Obviously the world of fashion is always a massive inspiration.
JP: How important is social media for photographers?
VR: I think it’s very important, but at the same time you have to stay authentic and real. It’s a showcase of your work and the way you promote your work. The whole market has completely changed in the last ten years and social media plays a major role for every creative mind. At the same time there are a lot of photographers who are not so talented, but know how to use social media and how to promote themselves even better than some very talented snappers and this distracts a lot of people. As always it’s about the balance really, but it’s very important to have a social media presence.
JP: Do you have any tips for amateur photographers?
VR: Doubt the standards, keep your head down and never be satisfied with the outcome.
Felipe Massa’s Formula One career doesn’t come to an end for another two weeks at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
However, after his address to an adoring public at the Brazilian Grand Prix following a typically gritty seventh place, it feels only right that a reflection on his career is made now.
Massa has said since his first announcement of retirement 12 months ago that while he did not win a World Drivers’ Championship, he would not trade the respect given to him by almost every member of the Formula One paddock.
Rarely has an entire sport taken one of its protagonists to heart in the manner that F1 has with Massa.
He first appeared on the Formula One scene as a fresh-faced 20-year-old with Sauber in 2002, regarded as one of Brazil new prospects. After a strong 2002 season he was drafted into test for Ferrari in 2003, returning to Sauber for 2004 and 2005.
His strength against teammate Jacques Villeneuve earned him a seat at the top table in Formula One as Ferrari replaced Rubens Barrichello with Massa for 2006, where he took his first win at the Turkish Grand Prix before winning at home for the first time.
In 2007 he was a successful rear gunner for Kimi Raikkonen’s victorious World Championship quest against the might of McLaren, Lewis Hamilton and future adversary Fernando Alonso, before roles at Ferrari were reversed the following year.
Few will forget the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix. Few will forget the celebrations in the crowd as Felipe Massa crossed the line for victory, seemingly on his way to a maiden World Championship.
Image courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari. Few will forget Massa’s dignity in the face of defeat in 2008
Few will forget the manner in which Hamilton stole it from him with a last gasp pass on Timo Glock to move back into fifth place.
Few will forget the emotion, dignity and passion shown on that podium as Massa realised that it was not to be. It was the other side of sport, as Hamilton celebrated with his entourage and mechanics in the garages below.
That was far from the last time the 36-year-old showed grit in adversity, as in 2009 the Ferrari was uncompetitive heading into what was to become a sombre Hungarian Grand Prix when Massa was struck by a spring from Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn and knocked unconscious.
A fractured skull was to rule him out for the rest of the season, a small price given the initial fears for his life.
He was never to win a race again.
Alonso joined Ferrari for 2010 and became top dog, as Masa operated as a reliable back-up. The controversial German Grand Prix saw shades of the old Felipe, as he led for much of the race before a now-infamous team order to allow Alonso through to victory, with many feeling he had been cheated.
A mixed 2011 was marked largely by an ongoing spat with Hamilton, the collided on several occasions, while an uncompetitive Ferrari in 2012 seemed to affect him more than Alonso.
A podium appearance at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix was as good as it got, before he was jettisoned by Ferrari in favour of Raikkonen. He resurfaced for 2014 at Williams.
Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Sunday 13 November 2016. Felipe Massa, Williams Martini Racing, waves to his home fans after retiring from the race. Photo: Andrew Hone/Williams ref: Digital Image _ONY3644 Joining Williams in 2014 gave Massa a new lease of life
At Williams, he became team leader once again and his consistency during a successful first two years peaked with a pole position at the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix, with the team finishing third and fourth in the Constructors’ Championships.
2016 and 2017 have been more disappointing for Williams. Force India relegated them to fifth in 2016, while they are battling with Renault and Toro Rosso for a top five Constructors finish this time around.
Should he finish outside the top three in Abu Dhabi, In 14 seasons Massa has taken nine victories, 16 pole positions and 41 podiums.
Felipe will leave the sport not as a champion, not as a man known for a ruthless streak and not as a driver with a fearsome reputation.
He will leave as driver known for facing down adversity and for keeping his dignity when others with more glittering careers sometimes failed to.
Massa leaves Formula One as a driver as well-liked as much as he is well respected by peers and fans alike.
