The Formula 1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix is a Prime Example of Sports-Washing: But What is Sports-Washing and Will It Work?

by: Meghan Hembruff

When the lights go out and the race gets underway at the Saudi Arabian Formula One Grand Prix in a couple of weeks, a global audience of close to 100 million will be tuning in to witness the high speed overtakes, wheel-to-wheel action, and of course, the champagne podium celebrations. What was once a sport marked by exclusivity and illustrious glamour has, in recent years, gained popularity among young viewers and penetrated the North American market, making it one of the most watched sports in the world. Only the biggest international events like the World Cup and the Olympics exceed Formula One in viewership and global prevalence.

This increased international reception creates new opportunities for Formula One organisers profiting from Saudi autocrats. The Grand Prix is also a welcome sight for the Saudi regime, which has been accused of using the event as a political platform for drawing the international community's attention away from its numerous human-rights abuses and oppressive treatment of migrant workers.

Formula One's presence in countries with a substandard record on human-rights is nothing new. The sport has been competing in Bahrain since 2004, a country which has been described by Human Rights Watch as "dismal". However, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, perhaps for the first time in sports history, compelled global audiences to realise that international sporting events are deliberately being manipulated to conceal inequalities or wrongdoings. The term 'sports-washing' was employed to describe the situation in Qatar and refers to the ways in which a state invests in sporting events to promote its reputation on a global stage and deflect attention away from negative perceptions of its actions and institutional frameworks. It is seen as a form of 'soft power', where the state appeals to international audiences to counteract its unfavourable reputation.

While the current media landscape is vast and fragmented, large sporting events like the World Cup or the Formula One Grand Prix serve as the most viable opportunity from a marketing perspective to reach international audiences. This makes sport attractive to corporations looking to market their products to international audiences as well as states looking to improve their reputation on the global stage.Indeed,the recent adoption of the term 'sports-washing' provides us with a critical lens for analysing the ethics of international sporting events taking place in countries with recorded human rights abuses. Moreover, the newfound terminology and heightened awareness means that incidents that might have gone unnoticed in the past are ever more at the forefront of conversations in the sporting world, and for good reason.

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is a prime example of 'sportswashing'. In March 2021, human rights organization Grant Liberty estimated that Saudi Arabia has invested at least $1.5 billion on 'sports washing' activities. In 2020, Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco announced its sponsorship of the Aston Martin Formula One team as well as Formula One races. In-person attendees or those watching the race from abroad are familiar with the numerous Aramco advertisements lining the barriers along the track throughout the season. Ahead of the 2020 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al Faisal, president of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation stated, “I firmly believe the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be the biggest sports event hosted in our country’s history and has the potential to change lives, perceptions and reach new audiences and communities like never before."

Many have expressed concerns or disapproval of Formula One's continued involvement with Saudi Arabia including British MPs, sports journalists, social media activists, human rights organizations, and even the drivers themselves. In light of a January 2022 UN report classifying certain actions taken by the Saudi regime, particularly the execution of minors, as violations of international law, Mercedes driver and eight-time world champion Lewis Hamilton spoke critically of Formula One's decision to race in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the overwhelming backlash, there remains a significant group of supporters that argue Saudi Arabia's 'sports-washing' does not pose a serious enough threat to warrant cancelling the upcoming Grand Prix. Furthermore, some argue that the Saudi's attempt at 'sports-washing' does not succeed at improving its international reputation or drawing attention away from its human-rights issues. When the chequered flag waves marking the end of the race and we all turn off our devices, will Saudi Arabia really have improved its geopolitical position and successfully swayed audiences by this glamorous demonstration of wealth and prestige?

Most likely this will not be the case.Rather, some have argued that international sporting events draw attention to ongoing conflict and human-rights concerns. Qatar mistreated its migrant worker population long before the 2022 World Cup, but most of us were only made aware of this situation because the World Cup cast a light on Qatar. It has also been suggested that the presence of international sports in countries like Saudi Arabia creates an opportunity for a counter-hegemonic movement. For example, at last year's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel invited a group of Saudi women to drive a few laps around the track - a direct political statement against the Saudi regime's previous ban against women driving and its continued mistreatment of women.

In this way, international sporting associations, like Formula One, could leverage their relationship with the Saudi regime to speak out against injustices and demand reform. Formula One maintains that they have strict regulations in place that demand certain conditions are met of their partners. The fact that Saudi Arabia is engaging in 'sports-washing' is not alone a sufficient reason for Formula One to not race there. If that were the case, we would have to ensure our criticism is not limited to a narrow range of non-western actors and be equally sceptical of events like the 2012 London Olympics, which can be argued was an attempt by a former imperial power to improve its international reputation and deflect attention away from its colonial history. We need to work beyond mere labels like 'sportswashing' and closely analyse whether the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Formula One has the potential to create positive change or whether this attempt at diverting attention away from the state's injustices is contributing to further corruption and oppression.

The question remains: should Formula One continue competing in Saudi Arabia? It's a multifaceted argument that has strong points on both sides. However, if sporting events like the Formula One Grand Prix continue to take place in countries with known human-rights violations, the organisers need to take the required steps to improve their terms and regulations in order to ensure they are not contributing to or allowing further injustice. If this cannot be done then it will only confirm suspicions that they are only in it for the money, which would be a rather devastating realisation for the future of not just Formula One, but international sport as a whole.