Todt on Formula 1 in Saudi Arabia: "You can see it as a kind of help"

There is a lot of commotion around the fact that Formula 1 is going to race in Saudi Arabia, but FIA president Jean Todt doesn't see any harm in it.

"It's very close to my heart," Todt said to Motorsport-Total.com On visiting countries like Saudi Arabia. "Everyone is in favour of organising races around the world. We are a sport, and sport should stay away from politics."

At the same time, the Frenchman stresses that the FIA needs to talk to human rights groups about the countries where racing takes place, in order to highlight issues. "We need to work with NGOs like Human Rights Watch, they understand what we can contribute. That's what we're working on."

"You can see it as help," Todt continued. "By travelling to these countries, people with a negative view of that country get the chance to say something they probably wouldn't normally do. It's a matter of interpretation, but to me it feels right," said the FIA president.