Formula 1 and Motorsport Photographer – 15 Years Behind the Scenes (1988–2004)
15 years covering Formula 1, IndyCar, Le Mans and international rallies. Analog photography capturing speed, tension, and legendary drivers on and off the track.
From 1988 to 2004, I worked as a professional photographer for the press agency DPPI, which specializes in motorsport photography. For over fifteen years, I had the opportunity to cover the world’s most prestigious motorsport competitions: Formula 1, IndyCar / CART, 24 Hours of Le Mans, international rallies, and circuit racing events.
These sports photo assignments took me all over the world — through Europe, the United States, Argentina, Australia, the Middle East… and across the African continent from Libya to South Africa during the 1992 Dakar Rally. A journey as rich in human experience as in photography, always at the heart of action and performance.
I lived extraordinary moments: staying in luxury hotels, sometimes traveling in private jets or helicopters, and often standing just meters away from world champions and motorsport legends. My images were regularly published in double-page spreads or covers of major automotive magazines.
The movie Rush, recounting the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 Formula 1 season, stirred many memories. It reminded me of the incredible privilege I had: to witness that world up close, to capture its intensity, and to master the demands of an exacting and highly competitive photographic environment. This type of sports photography requires total technical control, split-second reflexes, and a strong sense of composition — despite the speed, noise, and surrounding adrenaline.
The images presented below were originally taken on 35mm film, then scanned in the late 1990s. They still bear the marks of their medium and the scanning techniques of that time. While the quality may not always be perfect, they remain the testimony of an era, a style, and a way of seeing shaped by the race environment.
To explore more about my work in Formula 1 and its drivers, or to browse a curated selection of motorsport images, visit the dedicated galleries.
Even today, that period remains foundational in my photographic career. It taught me how to anticipate, how to compose in a split second, and how to capture the essence of motion, gesture, or a face just before the race begins.
About the author: Sebastien Desnoulez is a professional photographer who covered Formula 1, Le Mans, and major international motorsport championships from 1988 to 2004 as part of the DPPI photo agency. Today, he continues his visual work as an author, focusing on architecture, landscapes, and memory. Learn more.
All the photos displayed on this website are copyright protected © Sebastien Desnoulez. No use allowed without written authorization.
Legal notice
Tags
