F1: Vettel and Hamilton silent on Saudi Arabia human rights

(GMM) Sebastian Vettel’s (and Lewis Hamilton’s) reluctance to criticize Middle Eastern race hosts for their countries’ human rights records has now morphed into a full apparent muzzle.

Although highly outspoken on a range of popular social, environmental and political issues of the moment, both Lewis Hamilton and Vettel were more muted when asked to criticize the Qatar regime recently.

Do I look stupid? Vettel and Hamilton knows if they open their mouth about Human Rights in Saudi Arabia they might be put in jail and the key thrown away

“It’s more of a question for the whole of Formula 1 and not just for me as an individual,” quadruple world champion Vettel had said in Qatar.

Now, as F1 moves on to the arguably even more controversial nation of Saudi Arabia, the 34-year-old Aston Martin driver appears to be keeping his mouth shut completely.

When asked if he was looking forward to travelling to Saudi Arabia, he answered: “No.”

When asked to expand, he is quoted by f1-insider.com as responding: “I don’t know. It’s a new circuit for us so we’ll see.”

And when pressed even further for a comment about Saudi’s human rights record, Vettel insisted: “Next question.”