Lewis Hamilton disagrees with rival drivers and speaks about social issues at F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: “Hopefully everyone has a safe weekend”
Last year, the race was♐ overshadowed by a missile strike on the Friday carried out by a group on a nea🧔rby oil depot - the drivers required a crisis meeting before being convinced to race on.
Extra security has been brought in this year and a pep talk to en⭕courage the drivers was “well received”, reports, but Hamilton was vocal abo🐈ut the issues that remain.
After multiple drivers backed F1’s decision to return to Jeddah, Hamilton said: “All the opposit𝔍e to everything they said. I didn’t elaborate so it’s open to 🤪interpretation.
“I am looking forward to getting in the car, for sure. The track is pretty awesome, I look forward to the challenge of whether we are close or further behind. 🌳That side of my job, I’m excited about.”
The Mercedes driver was asked if he was worried by the politics or the safety issues of be🦹in🐟g in Saudi Arabia, and replied: “I don’t want to get into either.
“Hopefully everyone has a safe weekend and ෴gets home safely after. That’s all we can do, right?”
Hamilton was questioned if he ever considered ref𝓡using to return to Jeddah after last💦 year’s missile strike.
“If I’m not here, F1 will continue without me,” he repli꧅ed.
“So I try to learn as much as I can. I feel like, as a sport, going to places with human rights issues, such as this one, the sport is duty-bound to leave a positi♔ve impact and raise awareness.
“൲We need to do more. I don’t haveꦍ all the answers.”
What did other F1 drivers say?
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Kevin Magnussen said: “Last year was pretty special. None of us enjoyed it. It’s a different sit▨uation now. A ceasefire between th🅷e two parties involved last year. That gives us confidence.”
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lance Stroll said: “I trust that F1 are looking a🏅fter us. The country iಌs changing, evolving.”
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Sergio Perez: “I am happy to be back. As a sport we can help the country evolve for the people who 𝔉live here. ꦿWe trust the organisations who bring us here.”
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lando Norris: “I a𒅌m happy we’re racing here. What we’re doing is a good thing. 𝓡Not worried about anything.”
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Carlos Sainz: “They have given us enough explanation that we areꦅ in a safe place. I am confident they are not lying to us, and they are putting on safe events. Every year the fanbase is growing so we need to try to enjoy our stay here.”
Valtteri Bottas and Yuki Tsunoda refused to c⛄omment when asked.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything fr⛄om American sports, to football, to F1.
