Racing Through Repression: 20 Years of Formula 1 Sportswashing in Bahrain

Racing Through Repression: 20 Years of Formula 1 Sportswashing in Bahrain

On April 13, 2025, Bahrain hosted its 20th Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir—an event once again promoted as a celebration of global sport and national pride. But for many human rights advocates, this milestone doesn’t represent progress. Instead, it marks two decades of sportswashing—the use of international events to polish a government’s image while serious abuses continue behind the scenes. Ahead of the 2024…

Bahrain: Formula 1 (F1) Recycles assertions but must now make good on human rights promises

London / Beirut 13April 2025 Bahrain: Formula 1 (F1) Recycles assertions but must now make good on human rights promises The elite Formula 1 race took place yesterday in Bahrain. Formula 1 celebrates the water efficiency programme at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir; the use of solar power and shade stations that feature recycled egg cartons, chairs and loudspeakers as part of the organisation’s efforts to achieve net zero by 2030. It…