04/04/2022
NEWS STORY
Stefano Domenicali insists that it is Formula One's duty to continue racing in Saudi Arabia.
As recently as 2019, Ross Brawn dismissed talk of a Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia, citing the country's human rights record.
Lo and behold, two years later F1 cars are racing through the streets of Jeddah, as the sport agrees a deal with Qatar, another nation not known for its benevolent attitude towards human rights.
While drivers had voiced concern over racing in Saudi Arabia they went along with it, even offering up the usual platitudes about how great it was to be there...
One voice of dissent was Lewis Hamilton, but he too went along with it, and while expressing his discomfort four months later when the sport returned never looked likely to boycott the event.
Then came the attack on a nearby oil depot during Friday morning practice, and suddenly there was talk of drivers wanting to abandon the event.
We shall probably have to wait until season 5 of Drive to Survive or even the inevitable book to discover what threats or deals were made over the next 24 hours but the show went ahead.
Nonetheless, as the 'circus' packed its bags there was talk of the sport not returning as, along with humans rights, there was now the question of safety and security.
Despite promises that talks would be held with the drivers and teams on the future of the race, speaking at the announcement of the Las Vegas event, Stefano Domenicali appeared confident that Saudi Arabia will continue to host F1, claiming that the sport has a "duty" to continue.
"I think that, as we discussed, the country has its own problem to grow," he said, according to SportsCenter, "and sport, F1 in general, has the duty to make sure that maximising attention on what is happening, is happening in the right direction.
"We don't want to do politics," he continued, "but for sure I do believe that the sport will help the country that wants to change its culture. It cannot happen from day to night, to be very important as a change.
"As F1 we need to do our duty to make sure something of such an importance can happen, and that's why we stay there," he insisted. "That's why we do believe that, working together, we can shape a better future in faster time."
Not wishing to appear sceptical as to the sport's altruistic intentions, it should be pointed out that F1 has already agreed a 15-year deal to race in Saudi Arabia, with hosting fees of around £50m ($65m) a year.
Then there's that £30m ($40m) a year sponsorship deal F1 has with state oil giant Aramco - whose oil depot was the target of last Friday's attack.
The sport has drawn widespread criticism for continuing to race in Saudi Arabia, particularly in light of the recent public execution of 81 'prisoners' in one day.
Two weeks before the recent Grand Prix, the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, revealed that the majority of the executions were of people who had taken part in protests in 2011-12 that called for greater political participation.
She also said that a number of the executions were connected to the ongoing conflict in Yemen between Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition.
"Our monitoring indicates that some of those executed were sentenced to death following trials that did not meet fair trial and due process guarantees, and for crimes that did not appear to meet the most serious crimes threshold, as required under international law," she said.
It was the Houthis who claimed credit for the oil depot attack.