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Darren Heath: The Best of 2017

@F1Photographer's top 10 Instagram pics

Our resident F1 photographer, Darren Heath spent another fantastic year joining the team on the road (and in the air) documenting the 2017 season.

As the year draws to a close, take a look at your top 10 spectacular Instagram shots Darren captured on his travels to 20 race locations across the globe. 

Malaysian GP

31k likes: You can clearly see how every aerodynamic flick and winglet – including the T-wing and ‘monkey seat’ – is scavenging for downforce. And that’s even with those Pirelli Intermediates, which can shift 25 litres of water per second!

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Japanese GP

31k likes: Into the black. An F1 driver can breathe a sigh of relief as they travel beneath Suzuka’s famous crossover: they've just successfully negotiated Degners One and Two, possibly the trickiest and least forgiving pair of corners on the entire F1 calendar.

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Belgian GP

29.5k likes: Fernando leads Stoffel through the swoops of one of F1’s ‘big’ tracks, Spa-Francorchamps, a staple on the calendar since 1950. To see a grand prix car topping out at 200mph on the run up to Les Combes is to see F1 at its mightiest and most magnificent.

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Japanese GP

29.4k likes: Formula 1’s Asian races often bring unexpected deluges, and it’s unusual for a weekend at Suzuka to be completely devoid of bad weather. The drivers never really relish the wet, but it does produce spectacular shots like these!

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Canadian GP

27.8k likes: F1’s early summer jaunt to Montreal is always well received by teams and fans alike. It’s a beautiful, buoyant city, armed with a fast, low-grip track that always produces incident and surprise. Here Stoffel leads Fernando during the early laps.

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Italian GP

27.7k likes: F1’s farewell to Europe brought yet more rain, something that’s a relative rarity at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. In the wet, F1 cars create huge rooster-tails of spray as they blast around this most venerated of tracks.

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Hungary GP

26.7k likes: Fernando at his most iconic – and ironic, taking a pop at his own viral meme from 2015. Still, the sentiment was heartfelt – the Spaniard was bidding F1, and the rest of the world, on its summer hols…

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Australia GP

26.3k likes: Melbourne’s late-afternoon race-start produces some spectacular imagery. As the sun lazily sets over Albert Park, the golden hour bathes the track in a vivid orange hue, seen here picking up MCL32 as it negotiates the sweeping street track.

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Malaysia GP

26k likes: Sepang’s media centre affords the perfect vantage point from which to shoot pit-stops taking place directly below. Here, Fernando arrives in his box ready for a switch to the Soft-compound Pirellis.

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Hungary GP

25.8k likes: Changing position can give you a new perspective on things. Getting down to axle height gives us the perfect opportunity to check out just how precisely Fernando can jump the Hungaroring kerbs.

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