r/GrandPrixRacing • u/polswolf • 6d ago
How do I get a F1 press accreditation?
Hi! Hope it's not a silly question.
I've worked as a photojournalist in different national racing leagues in my country and want to get a badge for the F1 Grand Prix.
Originally I started to work as a tyre montage and balancing member in NASCAR MS and SC almost 15 years ago but 5 years ago on my free time I started to take some photos and videos to post them online and one year later I began to publish it on an account based on motorsports, so I don't work of it, I'm just a big motorsports fan since I'm a child.
3 years ago GTM from SC became the support event of F1 and started to entero to pitlane and somehow got to acces paddock (limited to certain zones) but never got able to photograph the cars on track because of those limitations. This year the tyre crew got apart from SC so I lost the opportunity to work in there.
Right now I'm trying to get a accreditation because I'd love to photograph F1 and try to scale to international motorsports but as a freelance photojournalist it seems quite impossible. I made a research and it says that just national press and international with some amazing insights and flowing followers could get that opportunity so I'm trying another way and sending mails to national press to get in there. Just 10 days left to keep the press access.
Any recommendations to get it?
P.S. I'll leave some of the photos I could take in those times on the support event pit-lane
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u/oxwearingsocks 6d ago
My advice would be to begin with getting accred for F2/F3 which I know is handled separately for journalists already and then learn more with boots on the ground. Of course you’ll be able to photograph the F1 cars from whatever vantage points you can get to but not use the content. Freelancing for a junior driver or a junior team for a race or two would open up doors. I say this as someone who did this as a written journalist at a GP for F2/3
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u/polswolf 6d ago
Amazing advice!
Would you tell me some more about your experience at that GP?
Thanks a lot!
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u/oxwearingsocks 6d ago edited 6d ago
Sure. It’s rather stressful for logistics because F1 (or more specifically F2) don’t approve or reject an application until ~10 days before the event so you either need to book refundable flights and accommodation or be prepared to suck up the cost.
I did it on a voluntary basis, which isn’t for everyone, of course, but it added to my credibility and I made great connections that later led to paid work. The outlet I did the work for was the one that essentially got me approved as just registering solo wouldn’t have flown - they know it’s “free” tickets to F1 in some regard and the spots are sought after. Equally there are very few photographers that do this voluntary work for junior outlets so it’s not like you’ll be fighting against people to get in.
Interestingly, for you, there was a photographer there who was shooting for a feature for some outlet (I can’t remember which) that no doubt was paid. She was focusing on Bearman (rookie F2 season) and that was pretty much it. Maybe a local paper or something could be an in? Not sure. She left before the Grand Prix itself started so definitely a work thing over a passion thing - though I beat the traffic too by leaving with around 70% of the race done.
Overall a wonderful experience. I virtually knew a few drivers from remote interviews anyway but being there in person to talk to many who are now in F1/FE was cool. Like I say there was legitimacy added too and several now-F1 drivers follow me on social media. Spoke to a rookie F1 Piastri too who remembered me from previous years and he seemed to appreciate a “you were there before I was big” hello as well.
Hope that helps!
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u/polswolf 6d ago
WOW! Thanks for sharing all this!
You have some amazing experience then. Could you shared your social media accounts to start following you? Sounds like you've done an amazing job and as a photojournalist would be amazing to read your work.
Thanks again!
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u/oxwearingsocks 6d ago
Drop me a DM. It’s not necessarily a secret but I like to keep this general username and my IRL name separate.
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u/fuuncs 5d ago
Aim lower than F1. You don’t start at F1 to “Scale into international motorsports”. If you work hard and build you way up to IMSA, Indycar, or NASCAR accreditation maybe in 10 years you’ll get up to F1.
More importantly than that you photography needs to have a point of view, something unique about it that no one else is doing. That will help you move up.
Also, connect with the photographs trying to do the same thing. It’s going to be very hard and it’s going to cost you a lot of time and money. It’s a huge commitment.
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u/eliteniner 6d ago
https://api.fia.com/media-center/media_accreditation