Clips posted on social media revealed an obvious conflict between a policeman and an FIA accredited photographer contracted to Williams F1 on the Spanish Grand Prix.
The Madring circuit hosted its first Spanish GP final weekend, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli crusing to victory and lengthening his championship lead, amid ongoing criticism of the circuit and its lack of overtaking alternatives.
Nonetheless, footage launched on social media confirmed an incident off-track simply earlier than the rostrum ceremony. The clips appeared to indicate a photographer being held in a chokehold by a member of the Policia Nacional Espanyol. The photographer had been on the best way to the rostrum ceremony by way of a passageway utilized by accredited media.
The photographer, whose Motorsport Week has chosen to not reveal, shoots for Getty Photographs and can also be contracted to Williams. When the incident occurred, the photographer was sporting official Williams workforce clothes in addition to identification that he was an accredited photographer.
Daniel Atan, a fellow photographer and journalist, posted a photograph he took of the incident to X.
“Right this moment in completely surreal issues: a cop places a chokehold on a photographer in Madrid for attempting to entry the rostrum by way of a passageway enabled for photographers,” Atan wrote.
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
A second publish from @PressRacing claimed that the policeman “assaulted and threw to the bottom a photographer who wished to go the place his credentials gave him the precise to”. This publish additionally contained a video of the aftermath of the incident, in addition to claiming that the photographer was carrying €15,000 value of apparatus.
The precise causes for the police’s response should not but recognized.
READ MORE – Madrid’s F1 debut: What went proper and what didn’t