Last week was a busy one for Petr Pavel beyond his usual work as the Czech Republic’s head of state. A die-hard racing fan, he got to experience two races in different countries and speak in an official capacity about the sport.

On June 9, the Czech President welcomed his FIA equivalent Mohammed Ben Sulayem to Prague. Andrej Babiš (Prime Minister) and Boris Šťastný (Minister for Sports, Prevention, and Health) were also present for the meeting, which entailed discussing the FIA’s road safety guidelines and increasing accessibility and participation in motorsports. The latter topic also included particular credit given to the Autoklub České republiky, whose head Jan Šťovíček was a member of the World Motor Sport Council.

“The Czech Republic has a proud automotive and motorsport heritage and continues to demonstrate how mobility, innovation and sport can work together,” Sulayem stated. “I would like to thank President Pavel, Prime Minister Babiš, and Minister Šťastný for their warm welcome and constructive discussions. I look forward to continuing our collaboration as we work together to build a safer, more sustainable future for mobility and motorsport.”

Two days later, Pavel woke up early and made for the Autoklub České republiky headquarters. The club’s main building hosted the start of the 1000 mil Československých, a vintage car rally based on the Mille Miglia that ran through Czechoslovakia from 1933 to 1935. The original race was canceled due to increasing tensions in Europe that culminated in World War II as well as safety reasons, but has since been revived as a historic rally.

Pavel has routinely supported the race since taking office in 2023, including being one of the official starters in 2024 and 2026. In both cases, he waved the Czech flag. Despite the wet conditions, the first day ran smoothly from Prague to Bratislava. The route then returned to the Czech capital the next day under sunny skies. Arnošt Nezmeškal, director of the National Technical Museum’s transportation department, won the overall in his Aero 50 HP; the NTM was also the site of the race finish and award ceremony.

“Seeing the vintage cars up close and experience the atmosphere of the era is a joy for me, as well as a way to clear my head for a while in the morning before work,” said Pavel. “The early start this morning definitely didn’t bother me.”

Pavel eventually made his way to France for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Like at other races such as the 2025 Dakar Rally, he put on a photographer’s vest and tried taking some shots.

He also hung out with other teams like eventual winner Toyota Racing. Matt Harrison, the COO of Toyota Motor Europe, explained his company and Pavel “exchanged views on key European automotive topics, including the need for technology neutrality and strong cooperation between like-minded partner countries to maintain competitiveness across the region.”

Featured image: Office of the President of the Czech Republic