Vettel: F1 revenue from some countries 'not very pure'

Sebastian Vettel deplores that F1 visits certain countries with poor human rights records, insisting the revenue generated for the sport from the latter "is not very pure".

For several decades, Grand Prix racing's relationship with controversial countries has helped fuel the age-old debate over mixing politics and sport.

F1 was first singled out by human rights groups in the eighties for racing in South Africa when the apartheid system was in full force in the country.

The sport was later criticized for adding Bahrain, frequently incriminated by Amnesty International, to its calendar. The Kingdom's crackdown on protestors in 2014 compelled F1 to cancel its race in Sakhir, but the event returned a year later.

Next month, Saudi Arabia will host its maiden F1 Grand Prix, but the announcement of the sport's deal with the largest country in the Middle East triggered angry reactions from humanitarian associations who viewed the initiative as a case of "sportswashing" by the host nation.

"There’s a lot of countries where we go to and a lot of money, in a way, that we receive that maybe it’s not very pure," argued Vettel in an interview with the New York Times.

"It’s a difficult thing to get into, obviously. Some countries are better off than others in this respect.

"I think, in a way, it’s wrong we go to certain places because then if you had morale, then you would just say no.

"But obviously, financially, I can see there’s a huge incentive for Formula 1 as a business to go there."

• Read also - Vettel: Time perhaps for F1 to put morals before money

Vettel has brought his opinions on human rights - as well as on environmental issues - to the front of the grid this year, joining seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton's own efforts to denounce abuses or issues involving minorities.

But the Aston Martin driver admits that not all members of the F1 community are able to voice their views or concerns.

"Where does it leave us?" questioned Vettel.

"Where does it leave the mechanics, the engineers, the drivers? Where does it leave the people employed by a team to do a job that they willingly do, and it's not their choice or their decision where to practice that job? I think it's a difficult one.

"As a broader organisation, I think it's to do with the responsibility that we have to, overall, just grow in awareness and consciousness that we have a responsibility with our actions.

"Whether that is hosting a Formula 1 event, whether that is running a company, whether that is selling a product.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter