Saudi F1 promoter has discussed human rights concerns with drivers
Saudi Arabia’s race promoter says he has already met with some Formula 1 drivers to discuss their concerns about the country’s human rights record ahead of December's grand prix.
The inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will take place in Jeddah later this year as part of a 10-year deal for the nation to stage an F1 race, with a view to moving to the new entertainment city of Qiddiya in the future.
But the decision to hold a race in Saudi Arabia has led to criticism from bodies such as Amnesty International, which said the event would “be part of ongoing efforts to sportswash the country's abysmal human rights record”.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has previously the “massive problem” surrounding human rights in some of the countries F1 races in, and spoke to officials in Bahrain about the matter earlier this year.
The promoter of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Faisal, said that he would be happy to discuss such concerns with “not only Lewis Hamilton, with anyone, in terms of a normal person, or the media”.
“I met at Silverstone with a couple of drivers,” Prince Khalid revealed in a select media roundtable on Monday including Motorsport.com.
“I’m not going to name their names, but Lewis Hamilton wasn’t one of them. I addressed their concerns and I spoke with them openly.
“I said, listen, I’m not going to tell you anything, you come to Saudi Arabia and you see it, and if you want to come here before the race, you can come, and you judge by yourself.
“Whatever I say about my country, it’s better for you to come and see it yourself, meet with the local people, and then you can have your opinion.
“I’m sure you have friends from teams that came for Formula E or for Dakar. You can ask them, and they can give their opinion.
“You can come and have a chance to see our country freely, and then you can say your opinion about our country, because we’re confident about what we progress and where we are going. So we have no issues [discussing it].”
Saudi Arabia has been hosting a rising number of major international sporting events in recent years, including a Formula E event at Diriyah since 2018 and the Dakar Rally since 2020.
F1 has been vocal in its own CSR programme, We Race As One, since the start of the 2020 season, pushing to make the series more diverse and inclusive, as well as highlighting other important social matters.
Asked by Motorsport.com what the race was doing in line with F1’s own We Race As One programme, Prince Khalid said they were “working closely” to “align in our missions”.
“As of now, things are progressing really good between us,” he said.
“This is part of our strategy, in Saudi Arabia, to open up our country.
“We want to prove the quality of life for anybody, for the Saudis or anyone that visits Saudi Arabia. This will help us achieve our goals.”
Related video
Previous article
McLaren: "Not unrealistic" for Norris to target P3 in championship
Next article
Saudi Arabia eyes early 2022 slot on F1 calendar
Remembering Switzerland’s first F1 winner
Stepping up to F1 in 1962, Jo Siffert shone with Rob Walker Racing Team and BRM before his career was abruptly ended in a fatal crash at Brands Hatch in 1971. Kevin Turner looks back at the life of Switzerland's first F1 winner on the 50th anniversary of his death
What Verstappen is risking with his current stance on 2021 F1 world title defeat
OPINION: Max Verstappen is back in the lead of the 2021 Formula 1 drivers’ championship, with the season’s final flyaway events set to get underway in the USA this weekend. But a defensive stance he’s recently adopted could have a lasting impact for the Red Bull driver when it comes to his chances of defeating Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes
The hidden Ferrari struggle that Sainz’s recent charge put to rest
Despite appearing to adjust to life as a Ferrari driver with relative ease, it was far from straightforward under the surface for Carlos Sainz. But, having made breakthroughs in rather different routes at the Russian and Turkish races, he’s now targeting even greater feats for the rest of the Formula 1 season
The final throes of Brazil's fleetingly successful F1 team
Emerson Fittipaldi is better remembered for his Formula 1 world championships and Indianapolis 500 successes than for the spell running his eponymous F1 team. Despite a hugely talented roll call of staff, it was a period of internal strife, limited funding and few results - as remembered by Tim Wright.
Why McLaren's expanding agenda will benefit its F1 resurgence
In the 1960s and 1970s, McLaren juggled works entries in F1, sportscars and the Indy 500 while building cars for F3 and F2. Now it’s returning to its roots, expanding into IndyCars and Extreme E while continuing its F1 renaissance. There’s talk of Formula E and WEC entries too. But is this all too much, too soon? Stuart Codling talks to the man in charge.
How Tsunoda plans to achieve his F1 potential
Yuki Tsunoda arrived in grand prix racing amid a whirlwind of hype, which only increased after his first race impressed the biggest wigs in Formula 1. His road since has been rocky and crash-filled, and OLEG KARPOV asks why Red Bull maintains faith in a driver who admits he isn’t really that big a fan of F1?
The danger of reading too much into F1's clickbait radio messages
OPINION: After Lewis Hamilton responded to reports labelling him 'furious' with Mercedes following his heated exchanges over team radio during the Russian Grand Prix, it provided a snapshot on how Formula 1 broadcasting radio snippets can both illuminate and misrepresent the true situation
How F1’s pole winner approach undermines drivers
OPINION: Valtteri Bottas is credited with pole position for the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, despite being beaten in qualifying. This is another example of Formula 1 and the FIA scoring an own goal by forgetting what makes motorsport magic, with the Istanbul race winner also a victim of this in the championship’s recent history
