Sportswashing in F1: We Need To Talk About Jeddah

If you’re reading this, then you probably know that while last weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix provided a lot to discuss on the track, it was what happened off it that’s left a sour taste in the mouths of many. But, if you missed it, here’s what went down and why it needs to be discussed in the light of day.

During one of Friday’s practice sessions, a missile strike occurred about 10 kilometres from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, a missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The target? An oil depot that’s owned by Aramco, a state-run Saudi Arabian oil company who are also key stakeholders in Formula 1. Puffs of black smoke could be seen from the circuit during FP1, raising alarms around the paddock about the safety of everyone at the event, and whether the event itself should even continue.

Meetings were held long into the night, as F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali gathered up the many team leaders and drivers around the paddock to field concerns and provide reassurances. News coming from Saudi Arabian authorities promised the safety of those at the event, as intel from the government claimed to suggest that only buildings in the country's energy infrastructure were subject to attacks from the Houthi rebels, and that the Grand Prix would be safe to continue.

On Saturday morning, a joint statement was released publicly by Formula 1 and the FIA announcing the Saudi Arabian GP would continue as scheduled.

So what to make of this… well, to say that Saudi Arabia’s human rights issues have been well documented would be a massive understatement. Regular use of torture on detainees? Check. Same-sex relations is still illegal in the country? Double check. And it also needs to be mentioned that two weeks ago, 81 detainees were executed by Saudi Arabian authorities, many of which had recently taken part in anti-government protests.

Formula 1, like the rest of the world, are not blind to these transgressions. Despite this, Formula 1 has a contract that’s reportedly 10 years in length and worth £50-55M/year to host a race in Saudi Arabia. This certainly raises some awkward questions that will lead to an awkward conversation, but it’s a conversation that the sport cannot continue to duck.

The biggest question is… why are we here then? Those with the power to answer such a question - like Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem - have made many excuses to defend the decision to take F1 to places like Saudi Arabia, but drivers have been more outspoken. And more critical. Lewis Hamilton’s voice has been one of the loudest, and last week, he spoke about the issue again and why he, like many, feels those in charge are not doing enough.

“My position is still the same as I spoke on last year. There’s not really a lot I can say that can make a difference. It’s obviously mind blowing to hear the stories. I’ve heard a letter has been sent to me from a 14-year-old on death row.

“When you’re 14, you don’t know what you’re doing in life. We don’t decide where we go. I think we do have an opportunity. We’re duty bound to try to do what we can when here. Not necessarily our responsibility. We try and do what we can. It’s important we try to educate ourselves… make sure we are doing something. It’s the responsibility of those in power to make the changes. We’re not really seeing enough. We need to see more.”

Lewis Hamilton on his concerns about racing in Saudi Arabia.

Can this change that the seven-time champion is calling for actually happen? When you have someone in charge like Domenicali, who was quoted by Sky Sports as saying “no one can judge our morality”, it feels like a bit of an uphill climb. But the issue of sportswashing is a dangerous one that can’t be ignored any further. Over long periods to time, sportswashing puts harmful regimes on normal footing by using sporting events and celebrations (like an annual Grand Prix weekend) that are designed to distract the eye from atrocities that are happening right around the corner. As Giles Richard of The Guardian put it, “The fuss dies down as people come to accept the event but business as usual continues in the background. This is the deal F1 has done.”

Sadly, this isn’t the first time F1 has found itself in a position like this. One year after the Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled in 2011 due to anti-government protests, human rights activists called for the cancellation of the 2012 edition due to similar concerns, as well as the killing of an activist at a demonstration and the shooting of a photojournalist who was covering protests against the Grand Prix.

The added irony of this most recent situation of sportswashing though is the fact that F1’s message of “No War” - one they have been touting over the last month in solidarity with Ukraine - now feels very shallow. While support poured in and the Russian Grand Prix was quickly axed from the calendar, that level of swift action has been absent from F1’s handling of their current presence in Saudi Arabia. Instead, the show carried on, as did the sport’s endorsement of harmful Saudi Arabian political practices.

So while things obviously need to change, I don’t expect they will. Not under the sports current regime, at least. As far as F1 and the FIA are concerned, money pays the bills whether it’s stained in blood or not.