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No, that will be the first grand prix I've missed since Japan 2000! There are tempting alternatives at Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Snetterton, Mallory Park and elsewhere, though...

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4 - Jolyon Palmer in action during the second GP2 race


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I know I claimed not to be covering F1 any more - and that remains the case in terms of full-time attendance - but it looks as though I'll be present at a few more events than I'd imagined...


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Not sure I have anything that matches the best of t'other Simon, but here (finally) are a few from this Simon...


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3 - Right...


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6 - "I'm sorry, sir, you can't enter the sidecar race without a bike and passenger."


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For anybody who fancies more of the same, the next episode is scheduled for April 7 (possibly without intermittent blizzards).

Nice work, Simon - and I'm glad you enjoyed it... despite the relatively poor light and racing being curtailed prematurely when ice began to form on the back straight.

Have barely started to edit mine, thanks to crap M1 traffic and a slowish journey home.

Present Sunday forecast for Mallory is overcast, with a 20 per cent chance of rain - that's according to the Met Office website. The maximum temperature is a promising 1degC.

I will be there, come what may, and aim to arrive in time for one of the rightfully lauded morning feasts. I'll be the one with thick padded jacket, veggie breakfast, pint of tea, two K-5 bodies, stout boots and a transparent rain cover...

Pros tend to use a monopod to support their big, long-range (400-600mm) f2.8s, which are easier to lug around when thus equipped, but you shouldn't need one with a 70-300. I do see people using beefy monopods with smallish superzooms and that always perplexes me. I sometimes use one with a Sigma 150-500, but even then it's not really necessary and tends to serve mostly as a prop that allows me to balance the lens on my shoulder.

You'd only need a tripod if you were planning to take shots at a night event, to capture light trails at Le Mans for instance. You can't pan with a tripod (not in a practical sense, at least) and for the head-on stuff your shutter speeds (1/500 or faster) should suffice.

Good luck - and I hope the day goes well.

That's a very valid point, Mike. Personally, I think high shutter speeds are most effective with head-on photos taken at a wide aperture (possibly only f6.3 in the case of Richard's 70-300), to reduce the depth of field and add a little blurry drama. At Donington Park, the chicane is probably the best spot for such shots (and should be accessible via the paddock tunnel, which some parts of the site aren't during ongoing restoration work).

This is from a test day at Brands Hatch last Sunday, when it was all but snowing and nobody remembered to switch on the light: 1/500, f4.5, 800 ISO.

Richard, I assume the 70-300 is one of the value-for-money Sigma or Tamron lenses. I have some experience of the Tamron version, which can be fine for motorsport although the autofocus is a little slow to react. It was OK with slower-moving machinery (at historic events, for instance), but next to useless when faced with a grand prix car.


This was taken with a Tamron 70-300 at the Phillip Island Classic in 2011, with AF engaged at 1/500 (I don't mind high shutter speeds for head-on shots, when you're not trying to convey a sense of motion).



When I used the Tamron at Monza that same season, during the Italian GP weekend, I deleted my first 200 or so photos before resorting to manual focus (ie pre-selecting a spot and panning the car until it reached it), which worked a bit better (and also prevents the lens from 'hunting'). This is Jarno Trulli's Caterham at 1/100 through a fairly slow chicane.

Generally, when you compare like with like in hierarchical terms, bikes don't corner as quickly as cars, although Superbikes are spectacularly brisk by two-wheeled standards. Your best bet is simply to use trial and error. There is also the matter of clear sight lines. If you don't have a media tabard, you'll be the wrong side of a debris fence at most points around Donington Park (although you can get close enough to shoot through this at the chicane - from the paddock, walk through the infield tunnel and turn right). A useful alternative is to take the infield tunnel and turn left, towards Redgate and the Craner Curves. There is no debris fencing on the inside and you can take a nice pan shot as bikes sweep down the hill. They're pretty quick at this point, so I'd use shutter priority and start at about 1/250 (ISO 100 or 200 should be sufficient), then increase your ambition step by step. Try AF mode, but if that's inconsistent give MF a whirl. Father Ted suggested 1/125 and that's often my default starting point, but it doesn't work for every category, nor every location.

Enjoy the experience. I was at Donington Park only yesterday (to research a feature, rather than take photos) and the weather was appalling. I hope you have better fortune.