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02 8014 7500The Next F1 Event In The Middle East This Year
Some Controversy Before The Big Event In Saudi
Lewis Hamilton and several other Formula 1 drivers it was said have expressed their discomfort at returning to Saudi Arabia.
After Yemeni militants attacked an oil refinery nearby with missiles during the race the year before, drivers had second thoughts about competing.
During the opening practice for the previous race, a missile hit an oil plant 10 kilometres from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Following a lengthy crisis meeting between drivers and the series executives the night before qualifying, the event carried on as scheduled.
Hamilton originally declined to comment on the circumstance during Thursday's media day but later added that F1 had a "duty to raise awareness" of human rights issues.
Authorities in Saudi Arabia and F1 executives have assured the drivers that measures have been taken to ensure that the event this year is not disrupted in the same manner and that their safety is not in danger.
Kevin Magnussen, a driver the Haas team, said: "Last year was pretty, erm, special. None of us enjoyed it. but it is a different situation now, there is a different political… there is a ceasefire between the two parties that were involved last year and that gives some confidence.
"Anyway, we go to these places and we just have to deal with it the best we can and get through."
Lance Stroll of Aston Martin and Sergio Perez of Red Bull both stated that they had faith in Formula One and the event's organisers to watch out for them and that they thought Saudi Arabia, which has been charged by human rights organisations with widespread abuses, was undergoing positive change.
In the formal news conference, Hamilton was the last to respond to questions regarding safety and human rights, and he originally stated that he thought "the opposite to everything they [Stroll and Perez] said". When asked if he meant protection or human rights, he responded, "I don't want to get into either."
But when questioned if he had ever thought about not competing in Saudi Arabia, the former 7-time world champion stated, "If I am not here, F1 will continue on without me so what I try to do is learn as much as I can.”
Several drivers expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements made for them to compete in Saudi Arabia this weekend during the FIA news conference this week.
Sergio Perez when asked had stated “happy to be back” in Jeddah. “As a sport I think we are able to also help the country to evolve for the people that live here. So, this is something that as a sport we can be proud of. “In the other hand we also fully trust the organisations that bring us here to compete in a safe place.”
Hamilton, however, disagreed with the ideas put forth by his fellow drivers during the same discussion. “Not much really to add,” he said. “All the opposite really to everything they said.”
So there seems some miscommunication between what the drivers have said or maybe they didn’t want to air their views in public, we may never know, but there seems to be a bit of split between Lewis and the rest of the drivers. Lets hope the race goes as planned without disruption of any type and we can all enjoy a great race in the Desert.
