F1 in Saudia Arabia: A Contentious Event
Saudi Arabia is set to host its first ever Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix as the penultimate race in the 2021 calendar. This announcement has been condemned by human rights groups, given the country’s history of human rights abuses. This article will discuss the announcement and seek to understand the rationale.
F1 is an extremely expensive sport. In 2021, a cost cap was introduced at $145 million per team to be spent on developing and improving their cars. This figure excludes marketing costs and salaries of the racing drivers. As a result, sponsors are needed who can afford to fund such exuberant costs. The title sponsor of F1, Aramco, is a global energy and chemicals company based on Saudi Arabia. Alongside the F1, at least half of the teams (inc. Mercedes and Ferrari) all have sponsors or investments based in Saudi Arabia. As such, Saudi Arabia has a huge financial stake in F1 and is an apparent justification for the location of the race.
The announcement has prompted human rights groups to accuse Saudi Arabia of “sportswashing” – the act of using sporting events to create a positive image of a nation. This attempt is to shield the country from the UN calling the Saudi-led war in Yemen the "world's worst humanitarian crisis." By blockading Yemen's main port of Hodeidah, Saudi Arabia is intentionally starving an entire population. Furthermore, in 2019, it was announced by the Saudi government that feminism, homosexuality, and atheism extremist ideas were punishable by jail or flogging. The criminalisation of these acts contravenes Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; however, Saudi Arabia is not a signatory to this convention meaning they do not have to adhere to its requirements.
Formula One issued a response stating “F1 has worked hard to be a positive force everywhere it races, including economic, social, and cultural benefits… We take our responsibilities very seriously and have made our position on human rights and other issues clear to all our partners and host countries who commit to respect human rights in the way their events are hosted and delivered”. Further, in 2015 the F1 formally acknowledged their adherence and commitment to human rights. Despite this, the tension remains between financial interests and human rights, and no changes to the event are planned.
If you are interested in learning more about Formula 1 and Human Rights, please see here: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/nov/05/f1-confirm-saudi-arabia-2021-race-in-face-of-human-rights-criticism-formula-one-motor-sport