2012 F1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix

It was a great moment when I had the chance to attend my first ever Formula 1 race at Sepang International Circuit after the fact that I had been here before for the Super GT as well as MotoGP. As with all racing sports, it is another great way to test panning photography. This time though, the challenge was much higher with such great vehicles like F1 race cars. They go much faster and more agile than other types of racing vehicles.

Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Racing

The race, as expected, was a wet one. This is what makes Formula 1 races in Malaysia much more interesting. It was havoc! Armed with a weather-sealed Olympus E-3 camera and ZD 50-200 f2.8-3.5 lens, the weather was of no issue. Let the rain drop and there is no need to hide the equipment.

Lewis Hamilton - Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

The sound of 24 F1 cars accelerating from the grid at the start of the race is pure adrenaline and utterly awesome! Just don't forget the earplugs or it will be a real painful experience.

Michael Schumacher - Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team

Fans from all over the world were cheering for their favourite driver and team, with Ferrari being the dominant fan force in Malaysia. The fans were not to be disappointed as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso won the race.

Fernando Alonso - Scuderia Ferrari

And for my case, I left SIC with a big smile on my face. Finally able to cover all 3 major motor sporting events held there. But as with all motor sport events, I leave you with a little bit of eye candy.

The rest of the images can be viewed here. All panning images taken using Olympus E-3 with ZD 50-200 f2.8-3.5 lens. Models image taken using Olympus E-3 with ZD 35-100 f2 lens. A big thanks to Olympus Malaysia for loaning me the ZD 35-100 f2 lens.

2010 Shell Advance Malaysian MotoGP

I managed to attend the 20th Malaysian MotoGP year at Sepang International Circuit last Sunday. It was my first time attending a MotoGP event. I missed the Japan GT this year so I told myself I shouldn't miss this one! It was a grand affair attended by the tens of thousands.

The deafening sounds from the super bikes were like classical music to the ears. Each pull of the accelerator gives out a roar of approval from the engine via the exhaust system. The acceleration, speed and maneuver from each rider executed flawlessly and gracefully on the track.

The crowd themselves were immersed into the action. Chanting, shouting and cheering the rider they supported. Some were blowing vuvuzela like devices while some were waving flags and t-shirts. And lest not forget the throngs of photographers that day, who I am one of them.

The MotoGP race was won by #46 Valentino Rossi in a Yamaha while second place went to #4 Andrea Dovisiozo in a Honda and third place went to eventual 2010 MotoGP Champion #99 Jorge Lorenzo also in a Yamaha.

One regret I had attending this event is the absence of the going to launch Olympus E-5 which I hope to have a chance to test out. However, I armed myself with the Olympus E-3, its predecessor, and am able to capture the following photos below. I wonder how the Olympus E-5 will fare if I'm able to take these kind of photos with the Olympus E-3?

The rest can be found here. All images taken using Olympus E-3 with ZD 50-200 f2.8-3.5 lens.