Round 6 of the 2026 Drift Masters Championship took place in Ferropolis, the “City of Iron” in Gräfenhainichen, Germany. As the penultimate stop before the Grand Finale in Warsaw, it was a crucial event in the championship, and one that left a particularly strong impression on me.
Drifting is one of my favorite motorsports to photograph. It is fast, dynamic, and full of raw energy, which means you constantly have to anticipate the action and be ready for the right moment. In Drift Masters, each venue also brings its own visual identity, and the character of the location often has a major influence on the photographs I create.
Ferropolis is undoubtedly one of the most distinctive set ups imaginable for an event like this. Built on the site of the former Golpa-Nord open-cast lignite mine, it is now an open-air industrial museum and event venue surrounded by Gremminer Lake. Five enormous mining machines still dominate the landscape, with their rusted steel structures, monumental wheels, and exposed mechanical parts giving the entire site an almost post-apocalyptic appearance. One of them is even nicknamed “Mad Max,” and surrounded by dust, smoke, fire, powerful cars, and remnants of heavy industry, it is easy to see why.
Alongside the usual combination of noise, tyre smoke and speed, this year’s event was also defined by extreme heat. Ferropolis even has its own beach, certainly not something you normally associate with a drifting competition, but it was very useful because we managed to cool down during breaks.
Another element that makes Ferropolis different is that the first rounds take place in daylight, while the decisive stages unfold after dark. Limited light adds another challenge, but also creates new possibilities. I used the darkness to give the photographs a more cinematic and mysterious atmosphere.
The competition itself was every bit as dramatic as the setting. Piotr Więcek and top qualifier Conor Shanahan met in the final with both the Ferropolis victory and the championship lead at stake. After two extremely close runs, the judges awarded the win to Więcek, who left Germany with a 22-point championship lead ahead of the Warsaw finale.
Because I wanted to create images that felt different from those, I had taken at previous drifting events, remote cameras played an important role. They allowed me to capture the cars and action from angles I had not explored before. The location was equally impressive from above, making the drone another important part of the shoot and revealing the scale of Ferropolis from a completely different perspective.
In the end, the heat, changing light, and demanding shooting conditions all became part of the visual story. I managed to capture not only the speed and precision of the drivers, but also the industrial atmosphere that makes Drift Masters at Ferropolis unlike any other event.
INSIDE THE PHOTOSHOOT WITH PREDRAG VUCKOVIC
Predrag Vuckovic’s experience in motorsports gives him a strong understanding of both the sport and the visual opportunities each event can offer. Having photographed races, drift competitions, and individual athlete projects for many years, he knows how to anticipate the action, adapt quickly to changing conditions, and position himself for key moments before they happen. Rather than relying on the same approach every time, Vuckovic looks for elements that can make each location visually distinctive. At Ferropolis, some of the venue’s most challenging characteristics became an important part of the visual story.
Equipment used for this photoshoot
Cameras: 2x Nikon Z 9, 1x Nikon Z7 II;
Lenses: 70-200mm f 2.8, 24-70mm f 2.8, 14-24mm f 2.8, and during the night event lenses that were particularly useful were 35mm f 1.2 and 50mm f 1.2;
Drone DJI Mavic Mini 5 Pro
4x Remote controls Pocket Wizard Plus Ve
By combining carefully selected positions with remote cameras and aerial photography, Vuckovic captured not only the competition itself, but also the extraordinary environment that made this round of Drift Masters unlike any other, and a true spirit of drifting events.