Bernie Ecclestone: F1 has clear conscience over Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Bernie Ecclestone insists Formula One has a “100%” clear conscience despite the sport facing criticism on its arrival in Azerbaijan for the oil-rich state’s first race.

A number of campaign groups, Amnesty International being the most recent, have called on the sport to take a public stance against Azerbaijan’s human rights record.

In a statement released on Wednesday night, Amnesty International said: “Formula One should use its influence and publicly call on the Azerbaijan authorities to end their crackdown on human rights.”

But when asked if Formula One has a clear conscience before Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the streets of the capital city Baku, Ecclestone, 85, replied: “Absolutely, 100%.”

Leading Formula One officials met Sport For Rights – another campaign group who urged Ecclestone to speak out against President Ilham Aliyev’s regime, and call for the release of political prisoners – on Monday with further discussions planned.

“Yes, we are [taking the issue seriously], of course,” added Ecclestone, who was not present at the talks. “We have been in correspondence and we have assurance from here that they are looking into all these things.

“We listen, obviously, and if people have got a genuine complaint there is not a lot we can do, because in all fairness I think you would get into trouble in most countries if you were very, very anti some government or political people, or in fact anybody, so it is not quite as easy as that.”

Human rights campaigners have accused Aliyev’s regime of wrongful imprisonment of journalists and bloggers, freezing financial public resources and restrictive legislation.

Rebecca Vincent of Sport for Rights commented: “Bernie Ecclestone’s attitude to human rights is an embarrassment for Formula One. The Sport For Rights coalition has repeatedly raised the cases of political prisoners in Azerbaijan with those in the F1 world, without anything resembling a sufficient response. The sport and its sponsors should be ashamed to allow themselves to be used as a propaganda tool for repressive governments such as President Aliyev’s.”

They also claim that media outlets critical of Aliyev’s government have been harassed and intimidated and subsequently forced to close, while four journalists have also died in custody since 2005, according to Sport for Rights.

Ecclestone added: “The minute people tell me what human rights are then you can have a look at them and see how and when and where it applies. Do any of you know what human rights are?”

When it was put to Ecclestone that some journalists had been prosecuted for speaking out against the regime, he replied: “So they should. It depends what they say. You say they write negative things. It depends what they write.

“I tell you what we ought to do – as far as we are concerned – not have any races where there is corruption in the country. Can you tell me where we are going to be racing?

“There are a lot of people starving in the world and you would think they have got something to complain about.”

Baku will stage the inaugural race against the picturesque backdrop of the old city walls just seven days after the Canadian Grand Prix. At nearly four miles in length, it is the second longest on the calender.

Ecclestone said: “We just left the greatest place in the world, North America. Compared to here it’s a bit of a shit-hole, isn’t it really?”