Saudi offers Hamilton talks
The Saudi Arabian government is open to talks with Lewis Hamilton to address concerns he has expressed about racing in the country.
Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton commented at the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021 that he felt “uncomfortable” because of the nation’s human rights record. He reaffirmed his stance at the Jeddah race last month.
Saudi’s minister of sport Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-faisal has now publicly offered Hamilton the chance to air his reservations.
Abdulaziz said: “I saw the comments that Lewis had, and that he had issues with some of the things in Saudi Arabia. I told him openly and frankly, ‘You can speak to me. Let’s sit down, discuss what are your issues, and understand where we are.’
“A lot of these things, you read a lot about Saudi Arabia, but you don’t see what are the details… He was saying that he couldn’t find anyone to discuss it with. So, I’m ready to sit with him. I think a lot of these issues ignite because there is no communication and there is no understanding of what’s happening.”