F1 big picture

Formula 1 big picture is a feature designed to showcase a side of a dramatic, visual sport that television cannot always portray.

Over the last 20 years, Darren Heath has carved a reputation as one of F1's most original photographers.

This is Darren's story behind his latest image:

"While pristine Formula 1 cars are a sight to behold, there is something strangely alluring about a damaged one.

"These meticulously prepared machines, once bent and broken, reveal a fragility that belies their honed image of solidity.

"Sat forlornly trackside at Turn Two during the Japanese Grand Prix is Felipe Massa's Ferrari F10, carbon-fibre bodywork ripped away, exposing a crumpled mess of heat-stained exhaust pipes crushed in the Brazilian's first-corner shunt with Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi.

"While 99% of F1 photographers need to concentrate on the race, I am fortunate to have the time to look for something a little different and always try to show a side to the sport that would perhaps remain unseen.

"There is so much more to a grand prix than 24 cars and 60 or so laps on a Sunday afternoon, providing the observant lensman with a perfect opportunity to be constantly busy.

"The devil, so they say, is in the detail. Nowhere is that more true than in Formula 1."

Camera: Canon EOS1 DS Mark 3; Lens: 200mm; Exposure: 1000th sec @ f/3.2