Following a season-opener in Bahrain and a follow-up grand prix in Saudi Arabia, Formula One continues to be a useful tool for authoritarian sportswashing.
As a diehard F1 fan that routinely goes to the US GPs, it's been beyond frustrating seeing them do the exact same thing boxing, wrestling and the UFC are doing...allowing their promotions to be used nefariously to sweep human rights atrocities under the rug.
Side Note: Love the new blog, Karim. Happy to support your wonderful work!
While I was never a diehard fan, I remember attending the first couple of Grand Prix events in Bahrain many years ago and being in Azerbaijan during one of their races. What surprises me now is that it appears that F1 is actually working with more despots than the UFC! Disappointing and a symptom of a much larger problem across all sports.
And thank you so much for you support, Stephie! It means the world to me.
Hi James, that is a difficult question to answer and varies with each individual. Some choose to boycott events; some choose to educate themselves and maintain an awareness about the issues facing their favorite sports; and some even take an activist approach and apply pressure to sports organizations and athletes on social media. All valid options that have worked over the years.
As a diehard F1 fan that routinely goes to the US GPs, it's been beyond frustrating seeing them do the exact same thing boxing, wrestling and the UFC are doing...allowing their promotions to be used nefariously to sweep human rights atrocities under the rug.
Side Note: Love the new blog, Karim. Happy to support your wonderful work!
While I was never a diehard fan, I remember attending the first couple of Grand Prix events in Bahrain many years ago and being in Azerbaijan during one of their races. What surprises me now is that it appears that F1 is actually working with more despots than the UFC! Disappointing and a symptom of a much larger problem across all sports.
And thank you so much for you support, Stephie! It means the world to me.
What can we do as fans? I find myself in a similar mindset with the UFC, i love the sport aspect of both but i can't ignore stuff like this.
Hi James, that is a difficult question to answer and varies with each individual. Some choose to boycott events; some choose to educate themselves and maintain an awareness about the issues facing their favorite sports; and some even take an activist approach and apply pressure to sports organizations and athletes on social media. All valid options that have worked over the years.