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 nearby 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 encourage the drivers was “well received”, reports, but Hamilton was vocal about t﷽he issues that remain.
After multipꦕle drivers backed F1’s decision to return to Jeddah, Hamilton said: “All the opposite 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 fo🙈rward to the challenge of whether we are close or further behind. That siꦗde of my job, I’m excited about.”
The Mercedes driver was asked if he was worried by the politics o💟r the safety issues of being 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 quest💛ioned if he ever considered refusing to return to Jeddah after last year’s miss🍷ile strike.
“If I’m not here, F1 will continue wiℱthout ♎me,” he replied.
“So I try to learn as much as I can. I fe༒el like, as a sport, going to places with human rights issues, such as this one, the sport is duty-bound to leave a positive impact and raise awareness.
“We need to do more. I don’t hav💞e 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 situation now. A ceasefire between🍨 the two parties involved last year. That gives us confide🦄nce.”
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lance Stroll said: ꧅“I trust that F1 are looking after us. The country is 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 weꦇ can help the country evolve for the people who live 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 am happy we’re racing here. What we’re doi🔯ng is a good thing. Not💎 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 are 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 neไed to try to enjoy our stay here.”
Valtteri Bo🍰ttas and Yuki Tsunoda refused to com෴ment when asked.
James was a sports journalistཧ at Sky Sports for🍷 a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
