Formula 1 bosses have been accused of “sportswashing Mohammed bin Salman’s blood-soaked regime” on the eve of the second running of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The second race of the season takes place less than two weeks after Saudi authorities revealed 81 executions in a single day.
The sport has a 10-year deal, worth £50million a year, to host a race in Saudi Arabia and has repeatedly said it will use its platform to help make changes.
But Reprieve, which investigates and campaigns against human rights abuses, said it was wrong for the sport to have a race in the nation.
Reprieve director Maya Foa said: “Stefano Domenicali [F1 CEO] says Saudi Arabia is headed in the right direction when the kingdom is on track to execute almost 500 people this year, more than twice as ever before.
“By racing there so soon after a mass execution, Formula 1 is signalling there will be no consequences for executing people who took part in pro-democracy protests. The 10-year deal F1 has just signed with the kingdom is effectively a contract to sportswash Mohammed bin Salman’s blood-soaked regime.”
Bin Salman is the kingdom’s crown prince and chairs the country’s sovereign wealth fund, estimated at £380billion and aimed at investing funds on behalf of the Government.
The United Nations also criticised the recent 81 executions for what were deemed “terror offences”, citing that 41 were from the Shia minority community in Saudi Arabia after their roles in anti-Government protests.
On the eve of the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last November, Formula 1 CEO Domenicali told Standard Sport that the sport would be an “accelerator with this need to change” and that “someone in the future can really say Formula 1 helped to make sure these changes happen faster”.
And in an interview with Sky Sports this week, the Italian said he still believed F1 could be a conduit for major change in the kingdom. It is believed that F1 bosses have voiced concerns over the mass executions.
Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, who will miss a second race this season because of Covid, both raised concerns about racing in Saudi last season.
Hamilton said today: “My position is still the same as I spoke on last year. There’s not really a lot I can say that can make a difference. It’s obviously mind blowing to hear the stories. I’ve heard a letter has been sent to me from a 14-year-old on death row.
“When you’re 14, you don’t know what you’re doing in life. We don’t decide where we go. I think we do have an oppportunity. We’re duty bound to try to do what we can when here. Not necessarily our responsibility. We try and do what we can. It’s important we try to educate ourselves… make sure we are doing something. It’s the responsibility of those in power to make the changes. We’re not really seeing enough. We need to see more.”
Asked whether drivers should meet with Saudi officials to discuss the issues, he added: “It shouldn’t be our responsibility to have to do that. It is a complex situation. I’m always open to try to understand and why the things happening are happening.
“It’s 2022 and it’s easy to make changes. I’m open to doing that. I don’t know who I would have to speak to. I know Boris [Johnson] has been over here recently. I heard human rights was raised during that. What was said, what’s been done, I’ve not heard about that.”
Felix Jakens, Amnesty International UK’s head of campaigns, said: “We are calling on everyone involved with the race – drivers, managers, fans – to educate themselves and be prepared to speak up and speak out about Saudi human rights violations.
“With many sports organisations taking a principled stance over Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, the line that sport and politics don’t mix won’t hold water.
“Despite claims that sport going to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would lead to positive changes, we are instead witnessing the opposite. The human rights situation in Saudi is bad and getting worse.
“The Jeddah Grand Prix is yet another example of bald-faced sportswashing with the hope that the glitz and glamour of F1 rolling into town will detract from these grotesque violations of human rights.”
