In 2015, a change in Formula One racing regulations brought titanium skid blocks back to the cars, in turn bringing about the return of the occasional bright rooster tail of sparks on the track. The rule was mostly changed for safety reasons, but also to reintroduce some visual aesthetics—the sparks can be beautiful. According to a story by the BBC, some drivers love the sparks not just for the spectacle, but also because they can create a distraction to drivers behind them, even making burn marks in their visors. For the past few years, sports photographers have been having fun with these showers of light and fast-moving vehicles, and I thought I’d share some of my favorite shots here today.
Sparks Fly on F1 Racetracks
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Read moreSparks fly behind Max Verstappen of the Netherlands as he drives the Red Bull Racing Red Bull–TAG Heuer RB12 TAG Heuer during the final practice for the Formula One Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 17, 2016. #
Clive Mason / Getty -
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Read moreMax Verstappen drives the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB14 TAG Heuer during practice for the Formula One Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on April 13, 2018. #
Charles Coates / Getty -
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Read moreEsteban Ocon of France (left) drives the Sahara Force India F1 Team VJM11 Mercedes and Nico Hülkenberg of Germany pilots the Renault Sport Formula One Team RS18 in the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit on April 8, 2018. #
Charles Coates / Getty -
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Read moreSparks fly behind Daniel Ricciardo of Australia in the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB14 TAG Heuer ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix of France at Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, France, on June 22, 2018. #
Charles Coates / Getty -
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Read moreSparks fly as Max Verstappen drives during a practice session for the Formula One Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 15, 2017. #
Mark Thompson / Getty -
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Read moreDaniel Ricciardo of Australia drives the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB14 TAG Heuer during a qualifying round for the Formula One Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 15, 2018. #
Charles Coates / Getty -
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Read moreMax Verstappen passes by in the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB14 TAG Heuer during a qualifying round for the Formula One Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on April 14, 2018. #
Lars Baron / Getty -
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Read moreJolyon Palmer of Great Britain speeds past in the Renault Sport Formula One Team Renault RS17 at Bahrain International Circuit on April 16, 2017. #
Mark Thompson / Getty -
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Read moreMax Verstappen passes below during practice for the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco on May 25, 2017, in Monte-Carlo. #
Mark Thompson / Getty -
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Read moreSparks fly behind Max Verstappen (left) and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain, who is driving the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes WO9, during the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix on April 8, 2018. #
Lars Baron / Getty -
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Read moreMax Verstappen drives the Red Bull Racing Red Bull–TAG Heuer RB13 TAG Heuer during a qualifying round for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park on March 25, 2017, in Melbourne, Australia. #
Clive Mason / Getty -
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Read moreSparks fly behind Carlos Sainz of Spain, who is driving the Renault Sport Formula One Team RS18, at Shanghai International Circuit on April 13, 2018, in Shanghai, China. #
Charles Coates / Getty -
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Read moreDaniel Ricciardo of Australia drives past during a qualifying round for the Malaysia Formula One Grand Prix at Sepang Circuit on October 1, 2016, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. #
Clive Mason / Getty -
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Read moreDaniel Ricciardo of Australia drives the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB14 TAG Heuer on the track during practice for the Formula One Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 29, 2018, in Spielberg, Austria. #
Patrik Lundin / Getty -
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Read moreJolyon Palmer of Great Britain passes by in the Renault Sport Formula One Team Renault RS17 at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 16, 2017, in Singapore. #
Clive Mason / Getty
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