Czech President Attends F1 Race… as a Photographer
It’s well-known that U.S. President Donald Trump likes to play golf during his downtime, but the Czech Republic President Petr Pavel likes to photograph motorsports on his weekends.
Pavel was spotted at this weekend’s Formula 1 race in Budapest, Hungary, where he wore a photographer’s jacket so he could take pictures trackside, just a few feet from the cars.
The Czech president had a security detail alongside him in the pit lane as he chatted with Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, F1’s governing body.
Reddit users were quick to point out that Pavel was using both Canon and Nikon camera systems, which is blasphemy, according to some.
Pavel was accompanied by Czech photographer Jiri Krenek, who was out trackside with him taking photos of the cars as they whizzed by.
It is not the first time that Pavel has rocked up at a high-profile motorsports event; last year the president attended a MotoGP race, motorcycling’s premium racing category, in Brno, a city in Czechia.
He has also photographed the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, where he also decided to camp like a regular spectator. The photos he took there were later exhibited at the National Technical Museum in Prague.
“Motorsport is a fascinating world and I am glad that I can not only watch it, but also record it in some way and share it with others. I hope that my photographs will bring the beauty and challenge of this legendary race closer to the audience,” Pavel said at the launch of the exhibit in March, 2025.
Pavel is not the only politician to have shown an interest in the other side of the camera: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is believed to have been interested in the art of photography, and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan sometimes shares some of his photos on official channels.
Pavel has not shared any of his photos on his Instagram page, so the president appears to be shooting purely for his own enjoyment.
Image creditsHeader photo licensed via Depositphotos.
