Welcome to the Fast Lane | F1 Content with Shyam Rajdev

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Getting his start in Motorsports

#1. What was the first moment that you can remember discovering motorsports?

I started watching F1 when Jenson Button was racing. I was watching motorsports in general in the years before that. I watched a few Isle of Man TT races and others of that vein, but, with F1, it was Jenson Button winning the world championship that hooked me. It was cool to see the Brits representing and winning.

#2. When did you decide that this is where you wanted to build your career? 

I, honestly, didn't decide on it - I sort of fell into it. I was lucky enough to work for Monster Energy, and they have their foot in just about every motorsports series - at least they did in they day. When I worked with them they were in action sports, motorsports, etc... I was covering everything from rally cross to 2 wheel BSB, Isle of Man TT, Motocross, Formula 1 - really everything that they had their foot in.

Working in and amongst it all made me realize how much I want to make that my full time - get paid a proper salary, etc....

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Shyam's Current Role

#3. What was your first role and the first step you took towards becoming an F1 content producer?

Monster would probably be that step because they had their involvement with Lewis, as well.

Author's note - Shyam worked directly for Lewis Hamilton as his first role directly in Formula 1

Based off of Lewis' closeness to the company. He literally had his own Monster Energy Can at the time - it made sense as my next move thanks to Monster.

I went to Goodwood and I saw the other cars and all possible angles of motorsport. At the time, I didn't mind what angle I went in motorsports - it wasn't F1 or nothing. It was really just a drive to absorb everything to do with the sport. I even did a motor vehicle engineering course in my college days because I was just obsessed with cars and engines.

This was a way to be closer to that and Monster Energy gave me that change. They're obviously not as big as Red Bull in F1, but to experience all of the grassroots events and stuff... that's what hooked me - personally and professionally.

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#4. What does a standard day look like for you?

Let's set to the side the actual schedule of the day (I.e. Practice sessions, qualifying, etc...). We turn up to the track and the first thing I'll do is an equipment check.

That is the MOST important thing - make sure your laptop is set up in your workstation, everything is plugged in, grab your camera, make sure you have the correct lenses, and gear up!

After that you head out. I like to give myself half an hour to get there, settle and decompress, and make sure everything's set up so that when I come back to sitting at the desk and editing its ready to go. Then I head out!

If it's a media day, I'd be going straight to shoot the drivers entering. If it's race day, I'd go to grab a bib to shoot trackside. After those sessions, I go back, edit, and upload. Then, I'll go back and shoot the next session - come back, edit, and upload.

It's very formulaic.

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‍#5. What are the most rewarding and the most challenging parts of content in F1?

Rewarding 

Being able to be a part of F1. It seems simple but every race weekend has its own story for everyone - even for the viewer watching the sport. It's about telling the story and being a part of the documentation of that story. There's some teams who will be better than others and you may learn that at certain parts of the race weekend. Even though you're not in the car racing or on the team working on the car - there's a story that develops.

My part in that is supplying the content that fans see so that they are more involved in the sport. That's the rewarding part.

Challenging

If I'm honest, all of it is challenging. It's not an easy job. Long hours and extreme dedication. You have to REALLY love it. There are more rewards than challenges when you have that passion.

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#6. What are the top 3 qualities that have helped you succeed in the F1 content space?

 This Is tough... I think there's an answer for my specific role.

Artistic Vision and Perspective

You have to have some sort of vision and perspective because otherwise you're just a person with a camera. That's simply everyone with a phone. You have to be able to have that vision to bring the sport to life and tell stories.

That leads into having some sort of perspective on the story you're telling. In this sport, everything has been shot so many times... week in and week out.

How can you tell that same story differently? How do you keep the viewer interested?

I'm fascinated by this, truly. There's other photographers who are able to shoot, for example, the sparks of an F1 car and THAT is the shot that goes viral that weekend. Then, the next weekend its the smoke off the tires... and so forth. There's always different angles that you can take.

Adaptability

Adaptability has to be one of them because no matter what you plan out, things will change. You're working with a really nondescript schedule. You have to adapt and overcome to make it happen.

Work Ethic

This applies to everyone in the paddock. Every single one of them have such a strong work ethic, and its a demanding job... EVERY job is a demanding job. You have to have such a 'strong head' and know that you're there for a reason.

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Shyam's Advice

#7. If you could go back and change anything about your path to where you are today, what would that be? 

I don't think I'd change anything.

I got to where I am now because of everything that I've done up to this point. Everything has happened for a reason.

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#8. If you could give one piece of advice to someone looking to follow in your footsteps what would that be?

General F1 Advice

Procrastinate less and network more.

Networking is where I, myself, could've improved - during the evenings at races where you're 'Netflixing and YouTubing' in your room. It really does help to be more proactive in this sport for your career and yourself because it's so taxing. I could've been going to the hotel gym, or I could've been on LinkedIn connecting with people.

It's not just about F1 either, when you have a transferrable skills, you could be reaching out to friends and brands. You could shoot with car brands, watch brands, fashion brands, etc...

Content in F1

 If you're doing the photography and content creation side - attend other motorsports series. People genuinely look at F1 as the end all be all - that it just ticks all the boxes once they've made it there, but there are so many other sports.

Not being zero'ed in on F1, from someone who has done other sports, is what gets that experience behind you to be successful in F1 eventually.

You have to have passion for shooting sport in general - rally cross, basketball games, etc... just to get practice behind the camera. Once you are so in tune with that camera it becomes just about your artistic and creative vision to bring to life what you're capturing - which is what people want.

It doesn't even have to be sport! You can shoot music gigs - which is how I actually got MY start behind the camera.

In music, you have 3 songs, 8-9 minutes to shoot everything and turn it around immediately which helped me become efficient and a better editor.

Last thing - learn video, don't just do photography. People want hybrid content producers.

They need people who can photograph, shoot video, edit, and turn things around quickly - practice it all.

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Shyam's Favorites

#9. What is your favorite race/ event/ moment that you’ve had in your career thus-far?

Whatever my answer would've been previously was overtaken in Abu Dhabi.

I was able to shoot everything trackside but it was really about those final moments.

When Lewis was doing donuts and I was close to all of that it was incredible. I wasn't even looking through the lens - it was so cool. One of those moments that you think about and ask "How am I even involved in this right now?"

Before that, I might've said Sebastian Vettel's final race, but I really think it's overtaken by Lewis' donuts in Abu Dhabi.

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#10. You have worked for Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, McLaren, Alfa Romeo, and Andretti in your career - which team/ driver/ person has been your favorite to work with/ shoot and why?

That's so tough....

Favorite team: Alfa Romeo

I had the most memories to share there. It was such a defining point in my life and career while I was there. I learned a lot from the team and the drivers.

**Author's note: Shyam also recounted how fun it was to work with Zhou, specifically, and how they developed a friendship while he was working at Alfa Romeo.**

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Kaitlin's Author's note on Shyam

All of the photography featured throughout this article are examples of Shyam's work - providing that perspective and creating the stories that he referenced. Many of the most iconic shots you have seen over the years are from his lens. From Daniel Ricciardo riding horseback into the Austin Paddock to, yes, some of the Lewis Hamilton donuts images.