Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Lewis Hamilton not 'comfortable' racing in Saudi Arabia for first time amid human rights concerns

Lewis Hamilton not 'comfortable' racing in Saudi Arabia for first time amid human rights concerns

"Do I feel comfortable here? I wouldn't say I do," says Lewis Hamilton as he criticises "terrifying" laws in Saudi Arabia and details human rights concerns ahead of debut race on Jeddah street track; Saudi sports minister insists country is changing and evolving

Lewis Hamilton has opened up on his concerns about Saudi Arabia's human rights record, admitting he does not "feel comfortable" racing in the country and voicing his hope for F1 to "apply pressure" to drive change.

Formula 1 is heading to Saudi Arabia for the first time this weekend, for the penultimate round of a championship Hamilton hopes to snatch from Max Verstappen. Off the track, Hamilton has been striving to raise awareness of important issues in host countries.

Same-sex relationships are illegal in Saudi Arabia - as they are in Qatar, which hosted the previous race - and Hamilton will once again wear a helmet sporting the Progress Pride flag this weekend in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

"Do I feel comfortable here? I wouldn't say I do," Hamilton admitted on Thursday. "But it's not my choice to be here. The sport has taken the choice to be here."

Speaking in the press conference, Hamilton added: "If anyone wants to take the time to read what the law is for the LGBTQ+ community, it's pretty terrifying. There's changes that need to be made.


"For example women's rights of being able to drive [legally] in 2018, it's how they are policed. Some of the women are still in prison from driving many, many years ago.

"So there's a lot of changes that need to happen and I think our sport needs to do more."

Hamilton: We must apply pressure


Hamilton, who said he received a warm welcome in the country, then spoke passionately about his concerns and beliefs to Sky Sports F1 - while also detailing his hope for "uncomfortable discussions".

"This is not my home and this is not solely my responsibility to change the world, of course," he said. "But I've just to tried to prepare myself in terms of the places we are going, the problems that are there.

"It's a ridiculously complex scenario of culture, religion, beliefs, this regime and rulers, because it's so much different to the world we've grown up in.

"What I truly believe is that everyone should have human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of movement, and there are places where that's not allowed.

"There are places, such as here, [where for] the LGBTQ+ community there's prison time, death penalty, and restrictions from people for being themselves and I don't believe in that.

"Religions can change, rules can change, rulers can change those things, they have the power to.

"We don't choose where we're going, others have chosen for us to be here, but we have to apply the pressure on them to make sure they are doing right by the people in those places, sparking conversation, creating that uncomfortable discussion that is needed in those places."

Hamilton, who will also wear his helmet in support of the LGBTQ+ community at the finale in Abu Dhabi, continued: "Me just changing a helmet is not going to change the world.

"But I hope that whether it's kids here and they're more aware of it, whether it's kids back home that are more aware of the scenarios in places, maybe kids back home in England will be studying more at school, and learning about more inclusivity. I hope."

Saudi: 'Country is evolving' | F1: 'No excuse' for hosts


Sky Sports News' Craig Slater also spoke to Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz about the stand Hamilton was making in his country.

"We fully recognise the rights of all individuals to put their point of view and to talk about things," he said.

"I think once people come to Saudi and they'll see Saudi what it really is, they'll change their minds and see that the country is evolving, the country is moving fast towards a developed country for the future, and we want to fix these things.

Hamilton has called on F1 to do more to raise awareness of social justice issues in host countries


"There are a lot of things we need to take step by step to do the right things, but we also have our culture, we have our history that we also want to preserve. We don't want to lose that."

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 ahead of the Qatar GP two weeks ago, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said there was now "no excuse" for hosts of Grands Prix not to improve their human rights records as he explained why the sport should speed up the progress.

"As soon as these countries choose to be under the spotlight that F1 is bringing, there's no excuses," said Domenicali. "They have taken the route of change.

"As always in life you cannot pretend that millennial cultural habits can be changed from day to night. It would be illogical, and not rational.

"But I think that through Formula 1 and sport, they will have the intensity to make sure that the progress will be done in a faster time and in a faster way than it would normally take to do these changes.

"I do believe that in a couple of years that someone will recognise the important role F1 has given to this important change to society."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×