The clothing indications for the first Saudi Arabian F1 GP were revealed, on 5 December in Jeddah: bermuda shorts for men, women rejected at the turnstiles if they do not cover their arms and legs …
A little less than 50 days before the first Grand Prix in the history of F1 in Saudi Arabia, scheduled for the weekend of 5 December, the controversy shows no sign of abating. The issue has been debated for months now and revolves around the question of the protection of human rights in Middle Eastern countries: how can a category like Formula 1, which should make the motto “We Race as One” other, but under a single banner of equality and equity) more a mantra than a sterile hashtag for social networks, to compromise on respect for personal freedom? It is certainly a matter of no small importance, to which the new head of the category, Stefano Domenicali, has repeatedly given a rigorous answer: racing in states such as Saudi Arabia or Qatar (but in the past the issue has also arisen for Bahrain, China, Russia, Turkey and Hungary) does not mean abdicating the values of which F1 is the bearer, but, on the contrary, sending a message of change that is not only possible, but even around the corner. The controversy that has flared up on social media in the past few hours, however, seems to take us exactly in the opposite direction …
THE GUIDELINES FOR JEDDAH
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The opportunity to return to discuss human rights and fundamental freedoms was offered by one of the most prominent insiders in Formula 2, the F1 support category, who returns to the track for the penultimate round of the season right at the weekend in Jeddah. . This is the team manager of Prema, the Vicenza-based team at the top of both rankings in the cadet series. Guillaume Capietto has published on his Twitter page the guidelines regarding the clothing allowed to enter the paddock of the Saudi Arabian GP. “We received – the Frenchman jokes on social media – the dress code for Jeddah. If I understand correctly, since I am a man, I will not be able to wear shorts, but I could still buy the kilt, which is only prohibited for women. Let’s laugh about which is better ”.
THE FORBIDDEN OUTFITS
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Capietto’s tweets are also accompanied by screenshots of the clothes expressly forbidden by the organizers of the Saudi appointment (below). Men will not be allowed to show up with sleeveless or bare-chested t-shirts, but it will also be forbidden to wear bermuda shorts and ripped jeans. The situation for women is a little more complex (obviously), who not only will not be able to show themselves in shorts, bikinis and miniskirts, but will be rejected at the entrance turnstiles if they wear sleeveless dresses, particularly low-cut or short. In fact, the obligation to cover the arms and legs is specifically established, at least from the knees up. And, with regard to the chest, the promoters of the event are recommended to choose clothing with a “decent neckline”, as literally reported in the document received in the past few hours by the experts.
EVOLUTION OR SPORTWASHING?
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It will also be “only” about dress code, but it is inevitable that the question will fall on the much debated issue of sportwashing, that is, on the attempt by authoritarian countries to take care of their image by hosting sporting events of global caliber – another example is that of Qatar with the MotoGP and the World Cup, even before the arrival of F1 in Losail – without showing, in fact, any openness to change. And to those who point out that it is not a question of restriction of personal freedoms, but of simple respect for local traditions, the Prema team manager replies: “First of all it is an international event, we do not go on vacation but we are obliged to attend for work reasons. Secondly, when someone arrives in France from Saudi Arabia, they can dress as they see fit, even in clothes of their own tradition. But I agree not to wear a bikini on the street too ”. Finally, the bitter consideration: “The slogan of Formula 1 was to go to controversial countries to allow them to evolve their mentality. In some ways it is also true… If nothing else, women will not have the obligation to wear the veil ”.
October 18, 2021 (change October 18, 2021 | 17:59)
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