Circuit2Circuit helping F1’s official charity Great Ormond Street Hospital

Here's a picture of Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren team garage taken by ... Lewis Hamilton. It’s one of 50 fascinating photos snapped by Formula One drivers and team chiefs for a major charity auction being staged next month. Hamilton took his driver’s eye view shot while waiting to go out for a practice session at Spa last year. Twin screens are mounted on his McLaren showing him the times of his rivals and their cars on track. Cool air is blown over him as an engineer adjusts his wing mirror. And his tyres are kept at optimum temperature by wraparound warmers. While Hamilton chose the intriguing F1 insight as his subject matter, others opted for pictures reflecting their personal lives. Sebastian Vettel contributed his favourite Alpine scene while Bruno Senna went for a paradise beach shot.

Others who got snap-happy included Fernando Alonso, Heikki Kovalainen, Kimi Raikkonen and Sir Frank Williams. The auction, dubbed Zoom, will take place on September 14 in the ballroom of the Wyndham Grand London Chelsea Harbour hotel. It is the brainchild of several motorsport bodies and will benefit Great Ormond Street children’s hospital. 

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone called it a “super idea that will hopefully raise a lot of money for the hospital”. But with one eye always on a chance of promoting F1, he added: “...and the teams will get coverage.” Zoom was a charity auction of signed photos taken by all the Formula One drivers and team bosses. The auction was in aid of F1’s official charity Great Ormond Street Hospital. A Force India F1 Showcar, which the team kindly provided free of charge, was transported to and from Chelsea Harbour by Circuit2Circuit.