But when it came to Hamilton’s turn to speak, he said his view was “all the opposite to everything they said.” They spoke Thursday at a scheduled pre-race news conference. “Obviously, it was scary what happened last year and none of us wants to ever experience something like that.”Īston Martin driver Lance Stroll echoed that, saying he was “confident that Formula One and the organization is going to look after us,” while Red Bull rival Sergio Perez said he trusts “the organizations that bring us here to compete in a safe place.” “We trust FOM (Formula One Management) and the organization to keep us safe,” French driver Esteban Ocon said. Others include Bahrain, which held the season-opening F1 race two weeks ago, and Qatar, which hosted soccer’s World Cup last year and also has an F1 race.ĭrivers were asked about returning to Jeddah given last year’s missile strike. Saudi Arabia is one of several countries accused of “sportswashing,” using high-profile sporting events to distract from human rights abuses.

According to Reprieve, a non-profit organization defending people facing human rights abuses, a further 16 executions were then carried out.

The missile strike came two weeks after 81 people were put to death in Saudi Arabia in a mass execution - the largest in the kingdom’s modern history. The attack led to hours of talks between drivers, organizers and stakeholders but the race went ahead. Business & Finance Click to expand menu.įormula One is back in Saudi Arabia this weekend, one year after a missile strike hit an oil depot near the track during race week.Īnd while the drivers expressed confidence in their safety ahead of Sunday’s race, seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton again broached the subject of human rights issues in the kingdom.ĭrivers have been given assurances by F1 that increased safety measures will prevent the race from being impacted like last year, when Houthi rebels from Yemen hit a depot only 11 kilometers (seven miles) away during the first practice session.

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