Promoter GP of Saudi Arabia talks to drivers about human rights

Every time a sporting event is staged in the Middle East it raises controversy, and it's no different in the case of the upcoming Saudi Grand Prix. Organizations such as Amnesty International believe that the country is using sporting events to "sweep the poor human rights situation in the country under the carpet."

Human rights

Saudi Arabia signed a ten-year contract with Formula 1. While the first race(s) will take place in Jeddah, the plan is for races to be held in the new entertainment city of Qiddiya later in the ten-year period. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has previously highlighted the "huge problem" with human rights in some of the countries where F1 races are held and spoke to officials in Bahrain about the issue earlier this year.

Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Faisal, the promoter of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and also president of the Saudi motorsports federation says he is also open to talks with drivers in any case, reports Motorsport.com. According to the prince, this does not necessarily have to be with Lewis Hamilton: "Not only Lewis Hamilton, but with anyone, in the sense of a normal person, or the media".

A free country?

"I met with a couple of drivers at Silverstone. I'm not going to mention their names, but Lewis Hamilton was not one of them. I addressed their concerns and spoke to 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 for the race, you can come, and you judge for yourself. You can come and have a chance to see our country freely, and then you can give your opinion about our country because we have confidence in what we are progressing and where we are going. So we have no problems [to discuss it]," Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Faisal said.