Spanish Police Officer Puts F1 Photographer in Chokehold at Grand Prix

The photographer was trying to reach the driver’s podium. | Photo by Alessio DeMarco

A Formula One photographer was put into a choke hold by a police officer at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Daniel Atán Romar shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) via a photo of the back of his camera showing the ugly scene in which a police officer has his forearm wrapped around the photographer’s neck as he holds a monopod with a large camera setup attached.

Hoy, en cosas absolutamente surrealistas: un policía le hace un mataleón a un fotógrafo en el Madring por querer acceder al podio por una zona de paso habilitado a fotógrafos. pic.twitter.com/CJuBG3Ii2B

— Daniel Atán Romar (@datanromar) September 13, 2026

“Today, in absolutely surreal things: a cop puts a chokehold on a photographer in Madrid for trying to access the podium via a passageway enabled for photographers,” Romar writes on X.

Crash.net reports that the photographer appears to be Peter Fox, a well-established F1 photographer who works for Williams Racing and Getty Images.

“I don’t know the context here. But I do know the photographer in the choke hold and he’s a long-standing professional covering F1 for many decades,” says Jamey Price, a fellow motorsports photographer.

“AND I do also know based on my own vast experience with police and security at races, I’m 0% surprised.”

It’s unclear why the police officer would assail a working F1 photographer. Fox is wearing an accredited bib while another colleague can be seen remonstrating with the cop. PetaPixel has reached out to Fox for comment.

It is not the first time an F1 photographer has had to deal with zealous officials in the F1 paddock: back in 2022, another respected Getty Images photographer, Mark Thompson, was left with a cut to his lip after an angry security guard slapped him in Hungary.

The friendly face of Hungarian trackside security pt2 the slap across the face ( note cut to lip) pic.twitter.com/iLIsBhltZd

— Mark Thompson (@snapper_thommo) July 29, 2022

The Spanish Grand Prix, held at the newly built Madring circuit in Madrid, was deemed to be a disappointment after a processional race with little chance of overtaking. It was won by Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli

Image creditsHeader photo licensed via Depositphotos.