Internationally acclaimed racecar driver Nico Rosberg is putting his fame to good use. In an effort to raise money for charity, the Formula One world champion is selling limited edition signed photos of himself. The photo in question is the legendary shot of him taken at last year’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Photographer Peter Fox took the picture during free practice at the Suzuka Circuit. At the time, he had no idea that the image would become so popular. But when Nico Rosberg posted the picture on social media, fans and leading figures recognized the image for what it was: an icon in the realm of motorsports.
The photo received more than 5,600 likes on Twitter and was retweeted 2,100 times. Rosberg had this to say about the image:
“It is seldom that you see the forces in an F1 car so clearly on a photograph. It was a special capture—very impressive. Even the tyre was deforming and everything. It was amazing—and it was a normal lap. It wasn’t like something specific happened—it was just like a normal lap.”
Fox reported that he was overwhelmed by the amount of attention that the photo received.
“When I woke up in the morning and started reading what everyone had been saying, it really showed the power of an image,” Fox stated. “I think Mark Gallagher wrote that this picture explains more than we could ever do with words, and that is what a photograph is all about.”
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But this picture also happens to be worth thousands of dollars. And that’s why Rosberg is teaming up with Fox to produce A2 prints of the photo—signed by the both of them. Proceeds from the autographed images will go towards Viva Con Agua and Water Aid—two charities that help deliver safe and sanitary drinking water to impoverished regions.