F1: Will to listen to drivers over social concerns, but.....

Saudi’s minister of sport, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal invited Lewis Hamilton to sit and discuss him feeling “uncomfortable” being at the Saudi Arabian GP because of its human rights record.

Prince Abdulaziz said: “I saw the comments that Lewis had, and that he had issues with some of the things in Saudi Arabia.

“I told him openly and frankly that you can speak to me. Let’s sit down, discuss what are your issues, and understand where we are, because a lot of these things, you read a lot about Saudi Arabia but you don’t see what are the details.”

“We could have said we don’t want a headache, let the international community condemn us as much as they like and have controversy but no one interferes,” he said. “But we didn’t.

“We’re here for an open discussion and that’s what I said, with the FIA and F1. We should sit together and understand the situation, because we’re here together.

“That is why I openly spoke to the drivers, and spoke to Lewis directly, saying that if you want to discuss these issues, you’re more than welcome to discuss it with me because he was saying that he couldn’t find anyone to discuss it with.

“So I’m ready to sit with him. I think a lot of these issues ignite because there is no communication and there is no understanding of what’s happening.

“It’s a small world today in terms of communication, but we really live in different parts of the world with different cultures and different mindsets. We’re open to discussion, we’re open to all of that, and we’re happy to do so.”

Make no mistake, Saudi Arabia is paying F1 a reported $99 million per year for 10 years, for a total nearing $1 billion. F1 will race there. Whether Lewis Hamilton, or any other driver wants to skip the race is up to them. Hamilton, or any driver, is easily replaced.

In 2020 Hamilton missed one race [Bahrain] due to Covid and immediately his replacement, George Russell, was on track to win the race if not for a blotched Mercedes tire change.

Hamilton is free to quit F1 and race elsewhere and forego his $50 million per year salary. He then would have plenty of time to stand on street corners holding signs protesting Saudi Arabia’s human right issues.

March 29, 2022

A number of drivers did not want to continue with Saudi Arabian GP after Friday missile attack nearby; Incident said to have accelerated a desire from the drivers to discuss having more influence on sport’s policy; F1 intends to keep racing in Saudi Arabia despite drivers’ misgivings

The drivers are set for meetings with F1 bosses following the events of the weekend.

A number of drivers feel they are playing an ever more prominent role as the face of the sport and carrying the brand’s messaging to the public.

F1 will seek to hear the drivers opinions. At the end of the day, F1 has a sports entertainment business to run. Saudi Arabia pays a reported $99 million per year, each year, for 10 years, to host the race. That is huge revenue for F1. Drivers who do not like where F1 races can go find another career (i.e. go pound sand and spend their own money to speak out on social issues on their own time). There is always IndyCar or Formula E. – Steve Etherington photo for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.

Drivers have recently had to answer awkward questions about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and the cancellation of the Russian Grand Prix following their invasion of Ukraine.

On influencing these big issues, Lewis Hamilton said in Jeddah: “We don’t decide where we go (to race). I think we do have an opportunity to try – we are duty bound to try – and do what we can while we’re here.”

F1 has made greater driver engagement with the audience an integral part of its plans in the post-Bernie Ecclestone era.

F1 intend to make a full assessment of what happened in Jeddah which will be shared with all stakeholders, including the drivers.

Meetings are expected to take place before the next Grand Prix in Melbourne Australia on April 10. Sky Sports