Formula One later stated that they would never go to high security risk areas, though stated that they had "every confidence that the Saudi government and its agencies have both the technology and capability to ensure this safety and security.” įollowing a missile interception in Diriyah during the 2021 Diriyah ePrix Formula E race held earlier in the year, questions were raised about the event's viability. Saudi Arabia has denied the Grand Prix was being used for sportswashing, arguing that the race is part of a process to open up Saudi Arabia to the outside world. Human Rights Watch also condemned the decision arguing that “It is part of a cynical strategy to distract from Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses." Formula One responded by saying that " made our position on human rights and other issues clear to all our partners and host countries who commit to respect human rights in the way their events are hosted and delivered." and that " worked hard to be a positive force everywhere it races, including economic, social and cultural benefits." In February 2021, 45 human rights organizations called on Lewis Hamilton to boycott the Grand Prix citing Saudi Arabia's role in the Yemeni Civil War, its detention of woman's rights activists, and the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Grand Prix has received criticism from Amnesty International on the grounds of human rights in Saudi Arabia. With a length of 6.175 km (3.836 miles), and with a projected average speed of 250 km/h (155 mph), the circuit will be the fastest street circuit ever raced. Designed by Hermann Tilke, the track will be held in the Corniche area in Jeddah. The layout of the street circuit was unveiled on March 18 2021. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit will be located along the banks of the Red Sea. In November 2020, it was announced that the city of Jeddah would host the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, in collaboration with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation. The draft calendar saw all 22 races from the original 2020 calendar carried over, with the addition of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix first appeared on the first draft of the 2021 Formula One provisional calendar, which was shown to teams at a Formula One Commission meeting, held in October 2020. At the time, Formula One declined to comment on the possibility of a race. During the event, it was confirmed that the track was designed to FIA and FIM Grade 1 standards. In January 2020, plans for a race track in Qiddiya were officially confirmed at an event, where track designer Wurz, appeared alongside current and former Formula One drivers who were given the opportunity to drive on the layout in a racing simulator. The project was conceived by Test and Training International, a motorsports consultancy headed by former Formula One driver Alexander Wurz, with the objective of creating a world-class circuit capable of hosting all FIA categories through to Formula One. In August 2019, plans for a permanent motorsports complex to be built in the city of Qiddiya were made public.
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