The pilots, including the Briton Lewis Hamilton, seven-time world champion very involved in societal issues, "
will be able to express themselves freely on their platforms,
" said Abdelrahman al-Mannai, president of the Automobile and Motorcycle Federation. from Qatar.
“
We have no problem with that in Qatar as they are free to say whatever they want,
” he continued.
Qatar is regularly condemned by international NGOs for the treatment given to the hundreds of thousands of workers who have come especially from Asia on the major construction sites of the World Cup, which it will organize in November and December 2022.
Last March, the gas emirate was the target of protests from players from several national football teams - Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands - on the sidelines of qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup.
Faced with criticism, Qatar has introduced several reforms to its labor law, such as the abolition of the "
exit visa
" for domestic workers, the introduction of a monthly minimum wage (1.12 EUR per hour) or even the abolition of
the employers'
“
no objection
”
certificate
for workers wishing to change jobs.
“
Qatar is now open (...) to criticism.
In recent years, Qatar has worked to improve the situation of workers,
”insisted Abdelrahman al-Mannai.
“
We have made tremendous progress.
Of course, the system is not yet perfect,
”he continued.
The Qatar F1 Grand Prix, scheduled for November 21, replaces the Australian Grand Prix, which was canceled due to the pandemic and health restrictions.
Qatar has pledged to host F1 for the next ten years at the Losail circuit.
Abdelrahman al-Mannai expects the first Qatari GP to be contested in front of a well-stocked grandstand with spectators who will need to be vaccinated.
"
Of course, we expect it to be full, because since we announced (the outfit) of F1, demand has exploded,
" said the boss of Qatari motorsport.
For the protocol ceremony after the race, the pilots will not be able to sand the champagne on the podium: "
We have our values and our culture, we respect the culture of others (...) We will not use champagne or alcohol during the podium ceremony, but there will be an alternative,
”he said.
