[Rassegna stampa] – The first, historic, edition of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix could only bring with it curiosity and interest, but also skepticism and controversy. Many NGOs have called on the pilots to boycott the event, which is judged as a sports-washing operation by the Saudi government. The F1 protagonists themselves have in some cases wanted to send very specific messages. Above all, the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who at the press conference made it clear that he does not feel particularly comfortable in the setting of Jeddah. Sebastian Vettel, another driver very attentive to certain dynamics, organized a karting race for women only, the ‘Race for Women’, of which he presented the details in yesterday’s press conference.
In a country that only allowed women to start driving in 2018, some very timid positive signs are taking shape. To impersonate him there is a 29-year-old girl, Reema Juffali, who is the first female driver in the history of Saudi Arabia and – precisely for this reason – was chosen as the ambassador of the GP. Stefano Mancini from La Stampa has made a beautiful interview with her, in which the girl retraces her passion for sport and hopes to become the forerunner of a new sporting ‘revolution’ in her own country. “My earliest memory of Formula 1 is a Monaco Grand Prix with Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna – he told – after a few years I realized that my dream was to become a professional rider and I fought to make it happen“.
Today will be a historic day for her, as she will officially inaugurate the brand new track in Jeddah getting behind the wheel of a Williams FW07, on whose livery, in 1979, the sponsorship of the national airline Saudia stood out. “We need to invest in girls and give them the same opportunities as boys – explained Juffali – it will take some time. If, for example, in a go kart or minor formula race out of 30 competitors, 29 are boys, it is clear that the chances of finding a potential champion are very low. The world is changing – added in reference to the #MeToo movement – especially in terms of gender equality. In my country, more and more women are working. We must grow together, help each other in this process. The secret, I repeat, is to engage in our passions“.
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