Photographer injured in F1 Monaco GP feels "lucky it happened at that circuit"

Photographer injured in F1 Monaco GP feels “lucky it happened at that circuit”. Andrea Bruno Diodato was injured during the frightening crash at the start of the Monaco GP.

Back on track
Back on track, almost as if nothing happened. Last weekend, Andrea Bruno Diodato was at the Mugello circuit to cover the MotoGP event, as his beloved job demands. However, the last few days prior to the race weekend had not been like any other for the Italian photographer. He is the one who was injured during the frightening crash at the start of the 2024 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, triggered by Kevin Magnussen and also involving the cars of Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg. A tremendous crash that put the photographers’ safety at risk in that spot.

The great fear
Andrea Bruno Diodato was the most affected and suffered a cut on his leg. He now jokes about it: “My friends tease me because they say there was almost more talk about me than Ferrari’s victory.” The initial scare was strong, especially for those around him rather than for him personally: “I was taught that if there is a dangerous situation, you must immediately lie down on the ground. I took the last shots before the impact and then did just that. Only, I stayed down longer than the others, and those around me were worried because they feared the worst.” – he said in a recent interview for the Italian website formulapassion.

The pain, however, was strong: “At the moment, I felt a lot of pain,” he admitted. “Now I’m fine, my leg is a bit uncomfortable, but that’s normal – as I already said, it turned out well. It was a big risk for everyone because there were quite a few people.” His hearing helped him: “I immediately sensed what was about to happen, which also saved me.” – he pointed out.

Monaco, a safe track
Despite the Monte Carlo incident, Andrea Bruno Diodato is convinced that the Principality’s circuit is not to blame: “Safety in Monaco? It’s not a problem. Paradoxically, it’s one of the safest circuits in the world because there are nets and guardrails everywhere. The guardrail posts are planted a meter to a meter and a half apart. It may seem strange because it’s a street circuit and the narrowest track, but in terms of safety, it’s perhaps the best of all. I consider myself lucky that it happened there and not at any other circuit. I haven’t had the chance to speak with the involved drivers, but it’s not a problem. I saw that Perez made a video wishing us all well, so that’s enough.” – the Italian photographer concluded.