Just a hypothetical, imagined scenario based on real-life pandering and apologising for sportswashing and ridiculous decisionsβ¦
Is it ever possible to clearly define sportswashing? Which countries should be endorsed with sporting events and which not? You could probably discuss a lot of arguments on that but nevertheless I think this particular scenario clearly helps to define some of those limits. I made up/exaggerated some of the following scenario but too much was too close to the truth, and some of it became uncomfortably-true after writing itβ¦
“Well, coming into this weekend there’s been a lot of talk of human rights, whether we should be racing here in the first place, with some drivers speaking up about it, and after Friday’s execution I think it’s safe to say that those fears were probably well-founded. What do you think, should we be racing here?”
“Yeahβ¦I think many of us were worried about the layout of the track itself, with these concrete barriers and blind corners, there are some background issues which is the case at some other places that we go to. But look, the drivers love coming here, the track is exciting, there’s always drama here. Turns 3 and 4 have been re-profiled following the missile attack during the off-season, the track surface is bumpy, this place has history and character! As fans of the sport that’s what we want to see. Nowhere is perfect and I think overall it’s a great venue.”
“Earlier on we brought you news of the fatal accident in this morning’s session, there’s been a lot of discussion following that, even some talk of boycotting the race. Although I should emphasise that the event organisers have been clear: they do not think the track itself was a significant contributing factor in this incident.”
“Now in case you were wondering about the cloud of smoke in the background, we can confirm that there has been a (very) nearby drone attack on an oil thingyβ¦but that this should pose no risk to human life nor the event itself and we are ready to proceed with the race this evening.”
“We race as one, safety comes first, we can help to spread the values of our sport, we can change repressive regimes ourselves through the power of F1 and oil money, we race as one, safety comes first, we race as one, safety comes first, we race as one, safety comes first⦔
At first I wasn’t going to post this because I just thoughtβ well, by watching F1 of course I’m going to encounter hypocrisies, what did I expect? I was just going to quietly stop watching it forever. But then I saw this news article and I just thoughtβ¦wowβ¦the sheer level of cognitive dissonance and moneyspeak to have arrived at this point was one thing, but this chilling paragraph is something else.
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I think if a driver feels unsafe, he shouldn’t have to race and not be penalized.
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Absolutely. It turns out they were unanimous in being ready to not race but are being held hostage there now until the race is done. It’s as clear an example of a modern-day capitalistic meat-grinder as you can get, in a place where they don’t have freedom to oppose it. People with families back home anxiously waiting.
I won’t watch F1 again as it’s gradually deteriorated over years into this now ridiculous inhumane situation. I avoid hyperbole but that actually seems to be the situation at this race. And they predictably almost lost a driver today. Big life-threatening crashes almost each time they go on this track, that’s before you even think about missiles. Can you imagine the fallout when somebody actually does die in this situation? It would be horrendous and it would’ve been so avoidable. π€·ββοΈ. Thanks for your thoughts.
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It puts me in mind of that ABBA song ‘Money, Money, Money’… Sadly ππ€
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Indeed, thank you. They’ve created a meat grinder of f1 drivers in full view, knowingly setting up terrible accidents. It was so predictable it has to be deliberate. I’ve emotionally detached myself because it’s obvious what’s going to happen π. π
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Yeah, I can’t help but feel the same. There’s always been – and always will be – an inherent danger to motor sport. But tracks laid out like some next level Hunger Games shit is something I don’t want to have any part of ππ€
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Yeah. That was the week I was watching squid game, culminating over the same weekend. Then I experienced a couple of days of lower medication effectiveness. Total mindfuck!
Now I take what useful things I learned from F1 and ascend to a higher plane of virtuosity :D. Seems to be happening to all sports. I am wondering if Lewis Hamilton retires this year now especially after that experience, feel like he’ll want to focus efforts on helping people in response.
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You could well be right π€
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It’d be what I would do in that position! Would be an easy decision now and a powerful statement :).
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And let’s face it, he has nothing left to prove in the world of motor racing ππ€
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Aye
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