How Spy Photography Helps Formula 1 Teams Win Races

The new Formula 1 season is underway and teams are searching for every possible competitive edge. One little-known tool in their arsenal: photographers.

Motorsports photographer Jamey Price, who PetaPixel featured earlier this year, says that fans aren’t all that aware of spy photography.

Price explains that Formula 1 is a prototype series, meaning every team enters a slightly different car based on their interpretation of the formula rules.

“The teams utilize photographers to kind of figure out how to make their own cars go faster but also keep their competition in check,” says Price.

Price has been working in Formula 1 for over a decade, during which time he has developed personal relationships with team members. Some of those staffers will ask Price to take photos of a specific part of either their car or an opponent’s car.

Price says that teams will often hire a spy photographer for an entire season, making it a full-time job. The F1 2026 season is slated to run for 24 races.

It’s a very different kind of motorsports photography; Price says that he finds it “incredibly boring” from a photographic perspective, as there isn’t as much artistry to it.

“You’re just trying to freeze the cars so you can see all the nitty-gritty details, you can see tires degrading and marbling and all the things I don’t necessarily care about as a photographer doing artistic coverage.”

While fans may not be aware of F1’s spy photographers, he says the practice has been around for a long time — dating back to the 1980s. Back then, teams were forced to wait for film to be developed; now photos can be transmitted immediately from a photographer’s position on track, allowing teams to see what’s happening in real time.

There are all sorts of reasons that F1 teams want photos of their car or other teams’ cars; Price says that it sometimes means shooting with “crazy” settings like 40,000 ISO and a shutter speed of 1/12000 to ensure the car is frozen sharp.

One example he gives is Nico Hulkenberg’s maiden podium for Sauber at the British GP last year. Price says a big reason for the German driver’s success that day was the team’s photographer taking photos of Hulkenberg’s tires trackside so the engineering team could monitor wear.

Price adds that, despite the fact he doesn’t enjoy spy photography personally, he finds it fascinating that F1 teams will utilize high-res still images to help them achieve their goal of faster lap times.

For more insights from motorsports photographer Jamey Price, head to his YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and X.