F1’s prime photographer shares his journalism journey and offers the story behind his greatest photos

MIAMI, Florida — You probably have adopted Formulation 1 the previous few a long time, or any sport, then you understand Clive Rose.

You might not know him by title, though many do, however you understand his work.

Rose is an award-winning photojournalist, whose photos have change into iconic in not simply the world of F1, however throughout the sporting spectrum. From his pictures from each the Summer time and the Winter Olympics, to his protection of the World Cup, and different sporting occasions throughout the globe, Rose has taken followers of sport contained in the video games, to essentially the most recognizable race tracks on the earth, and he has even pioneered the artwork of underwater sports activities images.

He’s at the moment the Chief Sports activities Photographer for Getty Photos, and was in Miami to cowl the 2025 Miami Grand Prix.

Forward of the race, I used to be fortunate sufficient to take a seat down with him for a beautiful dialogue, starting from his path to photojournalism, his favourite moments over his illustrious profession, a dialogue of some of my favourite photographs of his, and even a few of his ideas on the 2025 F1 season.

Clive Rose’s path to the highest of the sporting world

Rose’s path to the head of the sports activities world started along with his father. As he informed me on Saturday earlier than the Miami Grand Prix it was his father who “piqued” his curiosity in images, and with Rose having an curiosity in motorsport on the whole, and Formulation One particularly, making it to the grid was at all times on his thoughts. He studied media and images in faculty in the UK, however quickly a call loomed.

That call? Proceed with college and head to College, or begin a profession alongside his chosen path. Rose was lucky sufficient to be supplied a place that he known as a “ junior place with a number one Formulation One photographer,” nevertheless it was not a straightforward resolution.

“I used to be confronted with a call to form of do the work expertise route, or do I do the upper training route? So I made a decision the hands-on method was in all probability one of the best ways ahead, and it turned out to be the case,” stated Rose. “And he gave me a job on the finish of 1994, launched me to the world of Formulation One.”

Rose informed me the place was a “marriage of two passions,” a lesson he hopes to instill in a youthful technology, together with his kids.

“It was actually like a wedding of like two passions. Which, as a father, I try to inform my kids that you should do one thing that you simply actually take pleasure in.”

His work targeted on F1 till 2003 when he joined Getty Photos. That transfer allowed him to broaden his catalog of labor, shifting from the grid to occasions together with, however not restricted to, the Summer time Olympics, the Winter Olympics, and the World Cup.

“I joined Getty Photos in the beginning of 2003, actually to form of broaden my photographic horizons,” stated Rose. “Clearly an organization like Getty Photos, the chance is huge throughout the sporting spectrum, and that uncovered me to doing, you understand, the Olympics and the World Cup soccer and all different sports activities, and simply gave me a very good depth of expertise throughout all the things.”

Capturing the F1 grid

As Rose defined to me throughout our dialog on Saturday, his senior function at Getty has him overseeing a whole staff of photographers on a race weekend, ensuring that they fulfill the wants of all of their purchasers, together with Formulation 1 itself.

“Once I joined Getty I then like form of diversified and began doing different occasions, so dropped off the full-time doing Formulation One. However I stored all my expertise from doing Formulation One, after which extra lately I’ve come again to it to handle the staff right here,” stated Rose. “Now we’ve obtained fairly a giant staff, we’ve obtained like 14-15 photographers at every race masking many alternative business and editorial briefs.

“We do quite a lot of business work, however we’re additionally an editorial picture supplier, so now we have to guarantee that the those who do this perceive the significance of that, and like telling the story about what’s going on in Formulation One, separate to our business association.

“So yeah, it’s grown exponentially.”

For Rose and his staff, masking a Grand Prix means getting into race weekend with a plan. Not only for the tales they wish to inform, however for the way they’ll bodily and logistically cowl the monitor.

“We’re clearly one of many main, if not the main, content material suppliers of Formulation One. We work for Formulation One as properly. So now we have to stay cognizant of evolving tales and storylines, and now we have to react to that. We will’t simply are available and go, ‘, there’s a elaborate image at Flip 7 at 5 o’clock within the afternoon, so I’m simply going to give attention to that.’

“We now have to guarantee that now we have a full image all the time, so it’s as much as us to stay engaged with the tales and the journalists.”

Then comes how Rose and his staff at Getty will fan out to cowl as a lot of the monitor as they’ll, from the beginning grid to the rostrum. He defined to me how the staff places that in movement early within the week, so there are not any surprises on race days.

“So, in my capability because the chief photographer, I work with some senior colleagues to work out what everyone’s going to do every single day. We do a plan every single day and with quite a lot of photographers, they’ve completely different home windows of alternative,” started Rose. “So for the race, clearly, we have to guarantee that quite a lot of the monitor is roofed, like angles and this type of factor.

“A whole lot of the blokes should do the grid earlier than the beginning of the race, in order that limits their journey time to the remainder of the monitor. So that can fall to myself and a few of my different colleagues the place we will probably be additional out and they’re going to do that part.

“It’s fairly a giant form of factor to form of plan out after which everyone will gravitate again to the parc ferme and podium on the finish, and it will likely be deliberate out who’s taking pictures the place, in order that all the things is roofed off.”

A few of his iconic photos in his personal phrases

The a part of our dialog I used to be most wanting ahead to? Once I requested Rose about a few of my favourite F1 pictures of his from current seasons.

Very similar to our whole dialogue, this portion exceeded all expectations.

The subject of Lando Norris’ win on the 2024 Miami Grand Prix got here up earlier within the dialog, so I started with this picture from final 12 months’s podium celebration:

Clive Rose/Getty

“I had some I had some good entry final 12 months working for Formulation One,” started Rose once I requested about this {photograph}.

“, there was a lot speak about him going into this race, he was proper at that stage the place he was practically successful races, however for some purpose not successful them, and he clearly had one of many best of all time he’s competing towards in Max [Verstappen].

“And we’d seen him come shut, we’d seen him main races after which the automotive let him down or one thing went unsuitable strategy-wise. Max would simply take it to a different stage and would simply recover from the road in entrance of him.

“Even with 5 laps to go, you’re pondering one thing’s gonna occur.

“Is he gonna do it?

“Is he gonna do it?

“So once more, when he will get over the road and he wins the race, you’re like, ‘okay, nice, one thing superior has occurred, so now we’ve gotta go into ensuring that we file this in the best method.’

“As a result of that is gonna stand the take a look at of time. It will at all times be referred to.

“I imply on this, he’s simply wanting down. You possibly can see he’s simply … the reduction.

“‘Thank God I lastly obtained it completed.’”

In a similar way to Norris’ breaking by means of along with his first win in Formulation One, was Charles Leclerc’s long-awaited victory on the Monaco Grand Prix, his house race, final 12 months. After so many heart-breaking incidents in his house race, the Ferrari driver lastly reached the highest step of a podium on a circuit that features streets the place he realized to drive.

Three pictures of Rose’s stood out to me from that race, and I used to be fortunate sufficient to ask the award-winning photojournalist about every of them.

Clive Rose/Getty

“So once more, similar state of affairs,” started Rose.

“I’ve completed Monaco fairly just a few occasions and I’ve seen how shut he got here to successful, and I used to be on the chicane when he crashed that 12 months [in qualifying]. He hit the barrier on the within after which left out and went into the wall.

“With Charles, you understand, you see these younger weapons are available they usually make these form of, not errors, however these items occurs to them the place there’s one thing in them or their methods or their simply their timeline is simply not prepared but,” continued Rose.

“Some folks will are available and win a race straight away, and it’ll be like, ‘Oh they’re the best factor.’ However there’s others, quite a lot of the others, will come so shut quite a lot of occasions, and never lots is alleged about it, as a result of till they get to the purpose the place they win, they’re identical to all the opposite newcomers,” stated Rose. “They should undergo this type of strategy of coming so shut however being but to this point. And Charles is one other one in every of these guys the place he has at all times been seen as tremendous gifted, however simply couldn’t get it over the road for no matter purpose.

“So to see him form of win in Monaco final 12 months was, you knew that it was a reasonably particular second.”

In fact, there was context to Leclerc’s win in Monaco that went past a driver lastly successful his house race. There was additionally historical past, and royalty, taking part in their components.

“What was actually cool about that was that Prince Albert was on the rostrum as properly, and like that entire form of protocol round him.

“So I’ve completed that podium so many occasions and clearly Prince Albert is there, they usually’re in protocol and he fingers a trophy, ‘congratulations.’

“However on this one, he was like a child in a sweets store.

“He was genuinely everywhere,” continued Rose. “, form of, sincere from him.

“We’re so used to seeing these individuals who run in these circles, form of at all times being fairly steadfast and severe. However I believe I’ve obtained a body of him sipping the champagne as properly behind Charles on the rostrum.

“It was nice, it was good, he was identical to a father actually.”

That was the right lead-in to the following {photograph} I wished to ask.

“What’s at all times attention-grabbing is what occurs now. As a result of you understand, if you get that form of monkey off your again from successful the primary race, successful your property Grand Prix,” stated Rose. “Notably with Charles in Monaco, as a result of to have a Monégasque driver win the Monaco Grand Prix, you’re not, I’m in all probability not going to see one other individual win the Monaco Grand Prix who’s from Monaco in my lifetime.”

Leclerc grew to become simply the second Monégasque driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix, becoming a member of Louis Chiron in 1931.

“So that you’ve obtained to acknowledge this stuff.

“I do know they’re not a giant deal, the world’s nonetheless gonna flip, however if you happen to’re serious about folks and sport, which I’m, and I believe lots of people are — I believe you should be, in any other case you couldn’t actually do that job — however yeah, it’s nice when all these sorts of stars align and also you’re there to file that occasion.

“It’s superior.”

Clive Rose/Getty

It was time to ask about Leclerc’s dive into the harbor after successful in Monaco.

“So it’s a little bit of a tough one as a result of this was after the staff, they did a giant staff picture, and the rumor was that he was going to enter the harbor and there’s not quite a lot of room round it, and also you didn’t know he was going to return out of the gate, and then you definately didn’t know the place he was going to go mainly.

“So it’s very tough to form of predict and like quite a lot of these persons are practically falling within the water attempting to get this image.

“It was fairly difficult to be in the best place on that one.

“Even if you happen to’re behind it, you see his toes. So it’s fairly a tough one, nevertheless it was a pleasant second.

“I used to be shocked he did that dive, to be sincere, I assumed he may simply soar in.

“However what was additionally humorous was Fred [Vasseur, Ferrari Team Principal]. I believe he wished to go in, however I believe finally he ended up getting shoved in.”

Once I was getting ready for this dialog there was one {photograph} that I needed to ask about.

Rose’s award-winning picture of Verstappen kicking a rear tire after crashing on the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix:

Photograph by Clive Rose/Getty Photos

The image was chosen because the winner within the Formulation One class within the 2022 World Sports activities Pictures Awards, and with good purpose. From the emotion from Verstappen, to the framing of the pictures, and naturally the tourism banner within the background, each facet of this image is pitch-perfect.

“The humorous factor about this job is that, you understand, generally it simply occurs in entrance of you, and you’ve got the best lens. And also you’re simply, you understand, you’re simply in a position to get in the way in which that it was meant,” started Rose.

“So quite a lot of the photographs we shoot, they’re not like tremendous free.

“You at all times look to fill the body as a photographer, however, when one thing like that occurs hardly ever are you completely on the right lens and framing. Typically it’s a bit bit free, or it’s a bit bit tight, no matter. So I used to be simply lucky that I used to be on precisely the best lens,” continued Rose.

“I don’t know why, however when he obtained out of the automotive, as a result of he got here to a sliding halt, you may see the skid marks he form of spun round and got here to a sliding halt, and I can’t keep in mind the circumstances of the championship at the moment, however I do know he was charging onerous in that race and I do know that it felt like fairly a giant shock that that had occurred.

“I don’t know why when he obtained out of the automotive, I simply thought, as a result of he form of walked across the again and I simply had a hunch he was going to kick it.

“I don’t know why.

“I simply felt he’s in all probability going to kick it, you understand?”

That hunch proved right.

“As quickly as he, I believe he pressed the tire or he checked out it or one thing after which yeah, I simply instinctively stored urgent the shutter. I’ve obtained one body the place he’s he’s kicking it and the foot’s on the tire, there’s a body earlier than and the body after however you clearly need the foot kicking it.”

The “Expertise Azerbaijan” banner within the background was, as Rose termed it, “fortuitous.”

“And the signal within the background was simply fortuitous.

“It simply occurred, I suppose.”

Rose outlined how there are “two levels” to a picture like this coming collectively.

“There’s two levels to it.

“It’s a case of being ready to a degree, and likewise simply ensuring that when it does occur, you do get it. As a result of it might probably fall into the lap like that.

“, quite a lot of crash footage, folks don’t plan to be there essentially. However I suppose there’s a component of you make your individual luck,” added Rose. “In the event you’re ready.

“I used to be fairly happy with that simply because it’s not the best technical {photograph}, sports activities {photograph}.

“However it’s a second

“It’s a human second.

“And I believe you at all times attempt to file that as a result of that stands the take a look at of time.

“All of us exit and shoot, you understand, particular person motion footage left and proper, this that and the opposite, nevertheless it’s these footage the place it’s emotion.

“These don’t occur on a regular basis, that’s essential to catch after they do occur, I believe they’re those that stand the take a look at of time.”

The 2025 F1 season

As our great dialog drew to an in depth, I couldn’t resist taking the chance to ask one of the vital educated and skilled minds relating to F1 his ideas on the present season.

Rose started with a dialogue setting forth the myriad storylines which have already made this a captivating F1 marketing campaign.

“I believe it’s a really attention-grabbing [season], I believe it will likely be very a lot based mostly across the sport going into a brand new set of technical laws subsequent 12 months, in all probability the largest that there’s been for fairly some time,” started Rose.

“You’ve the subplots round Lewis at Ferrari. Is that understanding? You’ve a very large subplot about Max, about what he’s gonna do. You’ve what’s taking place with Crimson Bull, the adjustments at Crimson Bull, Like that’s nonetheless evolving.

“And technically, groups will get to a degree within the 12 months the place they’ll soar off and put all [their] assets into subsequent 12 months.

“Groups solely have a set quantity of assets, so all of it is determined by when these groups begin leaping off [to focus on 2026 and the new regulations].

“We noticed it just a few years in the past with the change to those laws the place you ended up having Crimson Bull and Mercedes preventing all the way in which to the tip and having to place assets into it to maintain that title problem alive, after which that in all probability had a little bit of a damaging influence proper now actually,” added Rose. “I do know that Crimson Bull form of managed to maintain issues pretty aggressive, notably within the first years, however I simply assume it will likely be attention-grabbing from that perspective.”

Then there may be the story of Hamilton at Ferrari.

“The Lewis Ferrari one is absolutely attention-grabbing.

“It’s not, I wouldn’t say that’s in all probability gone the way in which that individuals thought, it doesn’t appear to be going the way in which that individuals thought it’d.

“I believe everyone thought Lewis may are available and dominate Charles, however truly Charles was quietly going about his enterprise.

“So yeah, I believe it’s going to be one of the vital attention-grabbing seasons we’ve had.”

Finally like many, Rose believes there may be quite a lot of orange — or papaya to be exact — to return over the remainder of the 12 months.

“My hunch can be McLaren [are] in a really robust place. And it’s good to see {that a} staff has come by means of like McLaren. I believe Oscar [Piastri] could be very robust.

“It’d be good if Lando will get to ship on what they’ve invested in him and, the way in which that he’s introduced the staff by means of, after which clearly Oscar’s now are available and form of simply quietly going about his enterprise. So I hope form of Lando can get one thing out of it, however we’ll see.

“However I’ll say McLaren.

“It’s pretty simple, however you understand, with just a few surprises alongside the way in which.”

And when these surprises come, Rose and his staff will probably be there to inform these tales.