Professionalism or semi-pro?

Professionalism or semi-pro?

Friday, May 27, 2016, at 11.30am, the race director waits for the drivers and team managers to show up for the drivers’ briefing. Majority of the people needed to be in this room are here, except a few. Two more show up, making a sprint to the room. At precisely 11.45am, the door gets shut and the briefing begins. 

“From this point on, those who are outside this door will do this briefing only 15 minutes into the start of Free Practice 1.” Wow, as I stood there thinking, he’s making a stand. Which is good after all. A few of them never seem to show up on time for all the mandatory events. This would mean they would only be left with less than 15 minutes of a 45 minute free practice session.

Sunday, May 29, 2016, at 1.55pm approximately. The team I have photographing for has won the race. I position myself at parc ferme, waiting for the winning driver to pull up and come out of his car. The driver steps out and hugs his teammate. To my horror, a semi professional fellow colleague has completely ruined my picture by sticking his hand and compact camera to capture that same moment!! “F**K!” as I muttered and shoved his hand away. Shot ruined, I go around and capture other moments as there’s no point crying over something that’s ruined. 

The story of professional drivers & cameramen versus the semi pros will always go on at circuits all over the world. Some people are here to get a job done, while some are just out there to have a holiday & to ruin it completely for you. At the end of the day, the ones who are paid to get it done are always the last out there on the track, and always the last ones to leave the media centre. After all, there are no masters of the track, as we are always learning, we adapt to the situation and get it done. ’Nuff said, let the pictures do the talking instead.

View the gallery here