Being so immersed within the human side of F1 immediately opened my very innocent eyes. I wasn’t documenting a simple sport; I was in the midst of deadly serious business, practiced by talented men who risked their lives each second. Consequences were swift and brutal; their first mistake usually was their last. These truths demanded my very best. Whatever telling moments I would attempt to capture had to be portrayed as clearly and truthfully as possible. 

Realizing the opportunity I had, it was a simple decision on how to go forward. I would try to tell the story of the emotional roller coaster Grand Prix driver’s were experiencing with absolute honesty. I would shoot each image from an emotional point of view rather than merely illustrating a weekend sports headline. I would spend just as much time with the defeated as the victors. And, I would do it invisibly. 

Consciously backed away and didn’t go looking for moments; I just waited to let those moments compel me to make an image. I stayed silent and observant, as “a fly on the wall”, allowing the emotion and power of the moment to find my eye. And amazingly, I began to see better images. 

Sometimes, I would anticipate moments developing and produce a series; other times I would go for many minutes on end and be lucky for one frame. But, I put everything into making it a powerful frame. I stayed patient despite story paths that started and then evaporated. I never forced the results, and that’s the reason I didn’t make thousands of frames; my current portfolio contains less than 350 images.

I tried to document those hidden instants when you were still allowed to see a driver searching for speed; mentally "racing" the track for an unconscious impression that might unlock their car’s full potential; those silent struggles with their managers, engineers and team politics; those moments when drivers of an insanely dangerous Formula One era calmly committed themselves to realise their dreams and remain alive, lap after lap, in spite of fragile machines and against overwhelming odds.

This collection is my attempt to preserve lasting images of these men in all their humanity and complexity during those quiet moments of waiting…to battle with their "brothers” for the adulation and the immortality of being called World Champion.