The President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, rocked up to a Grand Prix this weekend on a motorcycle sporting a camera and telephoto lens so he could capture the action.
Pavel, who was not on official duty, was spotted trackside operating a Canon R5 capturing photos of the MotoGP race that was held in Brno this weekend.
Some politicians turn up on Sunday and spend the day in VIP hospitality.
Not Czech President Petr Pavel though, who is both a huge fan and a keen photographer! pic.twitter.com/eTb5kr5Uws
— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) July 18, 2025
Velká cena České republiky je v plném proudu. Na závody se přijel podívat i prezident Petr Pavel. Ten na Masarykův okruh dorazil na motorce. Přivítal ho tam krajský policejní ředitel Leoš Tržil. pic.twitter.com/QzOLVsft6s
— Události Brno (@UdalostiBrno) July 18, 2025
Lovely to see Petr Pavel, the President of the Czech Republic, enjoying the action from up close! 🙌#CzechGP 🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/JVqAGFGv0Q
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) July 20, 2025
According to local reports, Pavel arrived unexpectedly and moved around the track with his camera. He also visited the VIP area where he sat on one of the prototype motorcycles.
“The President of the Republic is attending the Grand Prix as part of his private activities. This is not an official visit,” the president’s spokesman Filip Platoš tells tells Novinky.cz. .
“We were pleased with the visit of the President and we appreciate it. The President toured the facilities of the Grand Prix organization. Given the President’s interest in photography, the championship promoter was happy to accommodate his wish to become familiar with the work of photographers at the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic,” says Petr Boháč, a spokesman for the Brno Automotodrom.
Presidential Photographer
Pavel has form for attending motorsports events with his camera, having attended the 2025 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Pavel was there to support Czech pilots but is also a fan of the sport — even electing to camp like a regular spectator. The photos he took there were later exhibited at the National Technical Museum in Prague.
“Motorsport is a fascinating world and I am glad that I can not only watch it, but also record it in some way and share it with others. I hope that my photographs will bring the beauty and challenge of this legendary race closer to the audience,” Pavel said at the launch of the exhibit in March.
#Dakar2025: Czech President and Dakar Rally photographer Petr Pavel
📸 Honza Altner pic.twitter.com/hCsK43AlGi
— Justin Nguyen 🏈🏁 (@ZappaOMatic) January 16, 2025
Pavel is not the only politician to have shown an interest in the other side of the camera. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is believed to have been interested in the art of photography, and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan sometimes shares some of his photos on official channels.
Last year, PetaPixel put together a list of celebrities you might not know are into photography.