F1’s high photographer shares his journalism journey and offers the story behind his finest pictures

MIAMI, Florida — When you’ve got adopted Method 1 the previous couple of a long time, or any sport, then Clive Rose.

Chances are you’ll not know him by identify, though many do, however his work.

Rose is an award-winning photojournalist, whose pictures have develop into iconic in not simply the world of F1, however throughout the sporting spectrum. From his pictures from each the Summer season and the Winter Olympics, to his protection of the World Cup, and different sporting occasions throughout the globe, Rose has taken followers of sport contained in the video games, to probably the most recognizable race tracks on the earth, and he has even pioneered the artwork of underwater sports activities pictures.

He’s presently the Chief Sports activities Photographer for Getty Pictures, and was in Miami to cowl the 2025 Miami Grand Prix.

Forward of the race, I used to be fortunate sufficient to take a seat down with him for a beautiful dialogue, starting from his path to photojournalism, his favourite moments over his illustrious profession, a dialogue of some of my favourite pictures of his, and even a few of his ideas on the 2025 F1 season.

Clive Rose’s path to the highest of the sporting world

Rose’s path to the head of the sports activities world started along with his father. As he informed me on Saturday earlier than the Miami Grand Prix it was his father who “piqued” his curiosity in pictures, and with Rose having an curiosity in motorsport usually, and Method One particularly, making it to the grid was at all times on his thoughts. He studied media and pictures in faculty in the UK, however quickly a choice loomed.

That call? Proceed with college and head to College, or begin a profession alongside his chosen path. Rose was lucky sufficient to be supplied a place that he referred to as a “ junior place with a number one Method One photographer,” however it was not a straightforward determination.

“I used to be confronted with a choice to type of do the work expertise route, or do I do the upper training route? So I made a decision the hands-on method was in all probability one of the best ways ahead, and it turned out to be the case,” stated Rose. “And he gave me a job on the finish of 1994, launched me to the world of Method One.”

Rose informed me the place was a “marriage of two passions,” a lesson he hopes to instill in a youthful era, together with his youngsters.

“It was actually like a wedding of like two passions. Which, as a father, I attempt to inform my youngsters that it’s good to do one thing that you simply actually get pleasure from.”

His work centered on F1 till 2003 when he joined Getty Pictures. That transfer allowed him to increase his catalog of labor, transferring from the grid to occasions together with, however not restricted to, the Summer season Olympics, the Winter Olympics, and the World Cup.

“I joined Getty Pictures initially of 2003, actually to type of broaden my photographic horizons,” stated Rose. “Clearly an organization like Getty Pictures, the chance is huge throughout the sporting spectrum, and that uncovered me to doing, , the Olympics and the World Cup soccer and all different sports activities, and simply gave me a very good depth of expertise throughout every part.”

Capturing the F1 grid

As Rose defined to me throughout our dialog on Saturday, his senior position at Getty has him overseeing a whole crew of photographers on a race weekend, ensuring that they fulfill the wants of all of their purchasers, together with Method 1 itself.

“Once I joined Getty I then like sort of diversified and began doing different occasions, so dropped off the full-time doing Method One. However I saved all my expertise from doing Method One, after which extra lately I’ve come again to it to handle the crew right here,” stated Rose. “Now we’ve received fairly a giant crew, we’ve received like 14-15 photographers at every race masking many various industrial and editorial briefs.

“We do numerous industrial work, however we’re additionally an editorial picture supplier, so we have now to guarantee that the people who try this perceive the significance of that, and like telling the story about what’s going on in Method One, separate to our industrial association.

“So yeah, it’s grown exponentially.”

For Rose and his crew, masking a Grand Prix means getting into race weekend with a plan. Not only for the tales they need to inform, however for a way they may bodily and logistically cowl the observe.

“We’re clearly one of many main, if not the main, content material suppliers of Method One. We work for Method One as nicely. So we have now to stay cognizant of evolving tales and storylines, and we have now to react to that. We are able to’t simply are available and go, ‘, there’s a flowery image at Flip 7 at 5 o’clock within the afternoon, so I’m simply going to give attention to that.’

“We’ve to guarantee that we have now a full image the entire time, so it’s as much as us to stay engaged with the tales and the journalists.”

Then comes how Rose and his crew at Getty will fan out to cowl as a lot of the observe as they’ll, from the beginning grid to the rostrum. He defined to me how the crew places that in movement early within the week, so there are not any surprises on race days.

“So, in my capability because the chief photographer, I work with some senior colleagues to work out what everyone’s going to do day-after-day. We do a plan day-after-day and with numerous photographers, they’ve completely different home windows of alternative,” started Rose. “So for the race, clearly, we have to guarantee that numerous the observe is roofed, like angles and this sort of factor.

“Quite a lot of the fellows need to do the grid earlier than the beginning of the race, in order that limits their journey time to the remainder of the observe. So that may fall to myself and a few of my different colleagues the place we can be additional out and they’ll do that part.

“It’s fairly a giant sort of factor to type of plan out after which everyone will gravitate again to the parc ferme and podium on the finish, and it will likely be deliberate out who’s capturing the place, in order that every part is roofed off.”

A few of his iconic pictures in his personal phrases

The a part of our dialog I used to be most trying ahead to? Once I requested Rose about a few of my favourite F1 pictures of his from latest seasons.

Very similar to our complete dialogue, this portion exceeded all expectations.

The subject of Lando Norris’ win on the 2024 Miami Grand Prix got here up earlier within the dialog, so I started with this photograph from final yr’s podium celebration:

Clive Rose/Getty

“I had some I had some good entry final yr working for Method One,” started Rose after I requested about this {photograph}.

“, there was a lot discuss him going into this race, he was proper at that stage the place he was almost successful races, however for some cause not successful them, and he clearly had one of many best of all time he’s competing in opposition to in Max [Verstappen].

“And we’d seen him come shut, we’d seen him main races after which the automotive let him down or one thing went improper strategy-wise. Max would simply take it to a different stage and would simply recover from the road in entrance of him.

“Even with 5 laps to go, you’re considering one thing’s gonna occur.

“Is he gonna do it?

“Is he gonna do it?

“So once more, when he will get over the road and he wins the race, you’re like, ‘okay, nice, one thing superior has occurred, so now we’ve gotta go into ensuring that we report this in the suitable means.’

“As a result of that is gonna stand the take a look at of time. This can at all times be referred to.

“I imply on this, he’s simply trying down. You’ll be able to see he’s simply … the aid.

“‘Thank God I lastly received it carried out.’”

Similarly to Norris’ breaking via along with his first win in Method One, was Charles Leclerc’s long-awaited victory on the Monaco Grand Prix, his house race, final yr. After so many heart-breaking incidents in his house race, the Ferrari driver lastly reached the highest step of a podium on a circuit that features streets the place he realized to drive.

Three pictures of Rose’s stood out to me from that race, and I used to be fortunate sufficient to ask the award-winning photojournalist about every of them.

Clive Rose/Getty

“So once more, identical state of affairs,” started Rose.

“I’ve carried out Monaco fairly a couple of instances and I’ve seen how shut he got here to successful, and I used to be on the chicane when he crashed that yr [in qualifying]. He hit the barrier on the within after which disregarded and went into the wall.

“With Charles, , you see these younger weapons are available they usually make these sort of, not errors, however these items occurs to them the place there’s one thing in them or their methods or their simply their timeline is simply not prepared but,” continued Rose.

“Some individuals will are available and win a race straight away, and it’ll be like, ‘Oh they’re the best factor.’ However there’s others, numerous the others, will come so shut numerous instances, and never lots is claimed about it, as a result of till they get to the purpose the place they win, they’re similar to all the opposite newcomers,” stated Rose. “They need to undergo this sort of means of coming so shut however being but to date. And Charles is one other certainly one of these guys the place he has at all times been seen as tremendous proficient, however simply couldn’t get it over the road for no matter cause.

“So to see him sort of win in Monaco final yr was, you knew that it was a fairly particular second.”

After all, there was context to Leclerc’s win in Monaco that went past a driver lastly successful his house race. There was additionally historical past, and royalty, taking part in their elements.

“What was actually cool about that was that Prince Albert was on the rostrum as nicely, and like that complete type of protocol round him.

“So I’ve carried out that podium so many instances and clearly Prince Albert is there, they usually’re in protocol and he arms a trophy, ‘congratulations.’

“However on this one, he was like a child in a sweets store.

“He was genuinely in every single place,” continued Rose. “, type of, trustworthy from him.

“We’re so used to seeing these individuals who run in these circles, type of at all times being fairly steadfast and severe. However I feel I’ve received a body of him sipping the champagne as nicely behind Charles on the rostrum.

“It was nice, it was good, he was similar to a father actually.”

That was the right lead-in to the following {photograph} I wished to ask.

“What’s at all times fascinating is what occurs now. As a result of , while you get that sort of monkey off your again from successful the primary race, successful your own home Grand Prix,” stated Rose. “Significantly with Charles in Monaco, as a result of to have a Monégasque driver win the Monaco Grand Prix, you’re not, I’m in all probability not going to see one other individual win the Monaco Grand Prix who’s from Monaco in my lifetime.”

Leclerc grew to become simply the second Monégasque driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix, becoming a member of Louis Chiron in 1931.

“So that you’ve received to acknowledge this stuff.

“I do know they’re not a giant deal, the world’s nonetheless gonna flip, however should you’re fascinated with individuals and sport, which I’m, and I feel lots of people are — I feel it’s good to be, in any other case you couldn’t actually do that job — however yeah, it’s nice when all these sorts of stars align and also you’re there to report that occasion.

“It’s superior.”

Clive Rose/Getty

It was time to ask about Leclerc’s dive into the harbor after successful in Monaco.

“So it’s a little bit of a difficult one as a result of this was after the crew, they did a giant crew photograph, and the rumor was that he was going to enter the harbor and there’s not numerous room round it, and also you didn’t know he was going to come back out of the gate, and you then didn’t know the place he was going to go principally.

“So it’s very tough to type of predict and like numerous these persons are almost falling within the water making an attempt to get this image.

“It was fairly tough to be in the suitable place on that one.

“Even should you’re behind it, you see his ft. So it’s fairly a tough one, however it was a pleasant second.

“I used to be shocked he did that dive, to be trustworthy, I believed he may simply leap in.

“However what was additionally humorous was Fred [Vasseur, Ferrari Team Principal]. I feel he wished to go in, however I feel finally he ended up getting shoved in.”

Once I was getting ready for this dialog there was one {photograph} that I needed to ask about.

Rose’s award-winning picture of Verstappen kicking a rear tire after crashing on the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix:

Photograph by Clive Rose/Getty Pictures

The image was chosen because the winner within the Method One class within the 2022 World Sports activities Pictures Awards, and with good cause. From the emotion from Verstappen, to the framing of the pictures, and naturally the tourism banner within the background, each side of this image is pitch-perfect.

“The humorous factor about this job is that, , generally it simply occurs in entrance of you, and you’ve got the suitable lens. And also you’re simply, , you’re simply in a position to get in the best way that it was supposed,” started Rose.

“So numerous the pictures we shoot, they’re not like tremendous unfastened.

“You at all times look to fill the body as a photographer, however, when one thing like that occurs not often are you completely on the right lens and framing. Typically it’s somewhat bit unfastened, or it’s somewhat bit tight, no matter. So I used to be simply lucky that I used to be on precisely the suitable lens,” continued Rose.

“I don’t know why, however when he received out of the automotive, as a result of he got here to a sliding halt, you’ll be able to see the skid marks he sort of spun round and got here to a sliding halt, and I can’t keep in mind the circumstances of the championship at the moment, however I do know he was charging arduous in that race and I do know that it felt like fairly a giant shock that that had occurred.

“I don’t know why when he received out of the automotive, I simply thought, as a result of he sort of walked across the again and I simply had a hunch he was going to kick it.

“I don’t know why.

“I simply felt he’s in all probability going to kick it, ?”

That hunch proved appropriate.

“As quickly as he, I feel he pressed the tire or he checked out it or one thing after which yeah, I simply instinctively saved urgent the shutter. I’ve received one body the place he’s he’s kicking it and the foot’s on the tire, there’s a body earlier than and the body after however you clearly need the foot kicking it.”

The “Expertise Azerbaijan” banner within the background was, as Rose termed it, “fortuitous.”

“And the signal within the background was simply fortuitous.

“It simply occurred, I suppose.”

Rose outlined how there are “two levels” to a picture like this coming collectively.

“There’s two levels to it.

“It’s a case of being ready to a degree, and likewise simply ensuring that when it does occur, you do get it. As a result of it could possibly fall into the lap like that.

“, numerous crash photos, individuals don’t plan to be there essentially. However I suppose there’s a component of you make your individual luck,” added Rose. “In the event you’re ready.

“I used to be fairly happy with that simply because it’s not the best technical {photograph}, sports activities {photograph}.

“However it’s a second

“It’s a human second.

“And I feel you at all times attempt to report that as a result of that stands the take a look at of time.

“All of us exit and shoot, , particular person motion photos left and proper, this that and the opposite, however it’s these photos the place it’s emotion.

“These don’t occur on a regular basis, that’s vital to catch after they do occur, I feel they’re those that stand the take a look at of time.”

The 2025 F1 season

As our fantastic dialog drew to an in depth, I couldn’t resist taking the chance to ask probably the most educated and skilled minds concerning F1 his ideas on the present season.

Rose started with a dialogue setting forth the myriad storylines which have already made this an enchanting F1 marketing campaign.

“I feel it’s a really fascinating [season], I feel it will likely be very a lot based mostly across the sport going into a brand new set of technical rules subsequent yr, in all probability the largest that there’s been for fairly some time,” started Rose.

“You’ve gotten the subplots round Lewis at Ferrari. Is that figuring out? You’ve gotten a extremely huge subplot about Max, about what he’s gonna do. You’ve gotten what’s taking place with Crimson Bull, the adjustments at Crimson Bull, Like that’s nonetheless evolving.

“And technically, groups will get to a degree within the yr the place they may leap off and put all [their] assets into subsequent yr.

“Groups solely have a set quantity of assets, so all of it is determined by when these groups begin leaping off [to focus on 2026 and the new regulations].

“We noticed it a couple of years in the past with the change to those rules the place you ended up having Crimson Bull and Mercedes preventing all the best way to the tip and having to place assets into it to maintain that title problem alive, after which that in all probability had a little bit of a detrimental influence proper now actually,” added Rose. “I do know that Crimson Bull type of managed to maintain issues pretty aggressive, significantly within the first years, however I simply assume it will likely be fascinating from that perspective.”

Then there may be the story of Hamilton at Ferrari.

“The Lewis Ferrari one is absolutely fascinating.

“It’s not, I wouldn’t say that’s in all probability gone the best way that individuals thought, it doesn’t appear to be going the best way that individuals thought it’d.

“I feel everyone thought Lewis may are available and dominate Charles, however really Charles was quietly going about his enterprise.

“So yeah, I feel it’s going to be probably the most fascinating seasons we’ve had.”

In the end like many, Rose believes there may be numerous orange — or papaya to be exact — to come back over the remainder of the yr.

“My hunch could be McLaren [are] in a really robust place. And it’s good to see {that a} crew has come via like McLaren. I feel Oscar [Piastri] could be very robust.

“It’d be good if Lando will get to ship on what they’ve invested in him and, the best way that he’s introduced the crew via, after which clearly Oscar’s now are available and sort of simply quietly going about his enterprise. So I hope type of Lando can get one thing out of it, however we’ll see.

“However I’ll say McLaren.

“It’s pretty easy, however , with a couple of surprises alongside the best way.”

And when these surprises come, Rose and his crew can be there to inform these tales.