Through the Lens of Time: Anwar Sidi's 42-Year journey in Motorsport Photography

There are those who take photos, and then there is Anwar Sidi, a vintage motorsport photographer who has been in the game for an incredible 42 years!

Sidi has stood the test of time, freezing heart-stopping moments in the lens of his camera, as he soaks himself in the exciting roar of engines and the thrill of speed.

His journey into the captivating world of motorsport photography began in the late 70s against the dusty backdrop of Chuka in Meru County.

During those formative years, rally drivers roaring through the town would toss him a few coins; meager amounts of 5 and 10 shillings. These coins were a small gesture that held profound significance for the young enthusiast.

At the time, his school fees amounted to a mere 25 shillings, and it was these humble contributions from the rally drivers not only fueled his education but also kindled the spark of a lifelong devotion to capturing the essence of motorsport through his lens.

Together with his brothers, they would make hand-made wire cars which they raced around while watching the safari rally machines zoom past their villages.

Sidi vividly remembers his very first safari rally picture.

“My very first fuzzy, blurry, out-of-focus safari picture was shot with a Kodak 110 pocket camera because I couldn’t afford to use anything better. However, my first safari photo was done using a motor-driven Canon AV1 Camera gifted to me by my elder brother,” he explained.

He kickstarted his high-flying career with the 1981 Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) before his main breakthrough in photojournalism came in 1985.

15 years later, in 2000, he was awarded by Kenya Motor Sports Ltd alongside his brothers Abdul and Asgar for their distinguished contribution to motorsport.

As he explains, the journey was not without its challenges.

He had to contend with a myriad of challenges from sleepless nights, dust, mud, heat, and thousands of miles of driving around the picturesque countryside.

Despite the challenges, his resilience and love for the sport shone through.

“It was initially quite a challenge considering that I had to make do with a meagre salary of Ks h2,500 that I earned in 1983. Accommodation wasn’t an easy one as I would, on sundry occasions, sleep at the back of a Datsun pickup surviving on chips and soda. At the time, my interesting budget also entailed two rolls of black and white films, 12 batteries for my flash, powerpack and motor winder for the camera; and fuel,” he vividly remembered.

Throughout his illustrious career, Sidi has captured the heart-pounding moments of motorsport and earned himself a golden chance to interact with some of the world’s best rally drivers and navigators.

“The list of rally legends is endless from Ari Vatanen, Walter Röhrl, Hannu Mikkola, Juha Kankkunen, Miki Biasion, Carlos Sainz, Marcus Grönholm, Colin McRae, Tommi Mäkinen, Bjorn Waldegaard and Stig Blomqvist back in the day to the present-day drivers like Kalle Rovanpera, Ott Tanak, Sebastien Ogier and Sebastien Loeb, I mean it’s been an amazing experience,” he explained.

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He smiled as he remembered how he captured his most memorable image of Michelle Van Tongaren holding his brakes just in time to avoid hitting a nine-year-old rally fan in 2001, a moment he risked his life for that awe-inspiring photograph.

“This was truly a memorable image. But I also came to within a whisker of being crashed at a hairpin bend when Glen Edmunds arrived unannounced and I had to dive to save my life,” he recalled.

For Sidi, motorsports photography is not just a career; it is his very lifeblood. Throughout his illustrious career, he has never allowed the allure of financial gain to overshadow the joy he derives from freezing the adrenaline-fueled moments of racing history.

He dedicates all his achievements to his wife Rukhsana who sadly passed away a week after the 2023 Safari Rally.

Sidi advises the young generation to always put their best foot forward, be confident, and never give up in life.

“Use your strength, passion, and dedication to reach every single goal. The price of success is hard work. Difficulties which you face will always trigger the determination to achieve your objectives and to win against all the odds,” he urged.

From 2020 to date, he has served as the Media Safety and Route Liaison as well as a photographer for the iconic WRC Safari Rally. At the Safari Rally Project, he designs and creates media points, maps, and graphs for the media safety book.

His brother Abdul Sidi has a rally training academy while his other brother Asgar writes and has a collection of motorsports history from the 1960s.