#Organisation Todt

[deutschland-im-krieg]

Generalinspekteur Doktor Fritz Todt, unknowns and a jovial Hitler, Hotel Post, Hintersee, date unknown

[bauerntanz]

Karya / Καρυά

#Karya / Καρυά - Die Suche nach dem #Massengrab der ermordeten jüdischen #Zwangsarbeiter in #Griechenland

Es sind Zeithistoriker der Universität Osnabrück (Foto lks), die in Mittelgriechenland Arbeitslager aus der Zeit der deutschen Besatzung zu erforschen – mit archäologische Methoden der Prospektion und klassischen Begehungen, aber auch mit Georadar und -magnetik. Sie werfen damit ein Schlaglicht auf ein bisher kaum bekanntes Kapitel des Holocaust und das Schicksal der Jüdinnen und Juden aus…

[gayferrari]

can you share about the interview with jules bianchi's dad and what he says?

It was an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, the article is paywalled. I started typing up a tldr but I couldn't do it justice with a summary so here's a full translation. It goes into some details about Jules's crash and the aftermath, so broad cws for that, but there's a lot more. He talks about their foundation, about Jules as a kid, and a bit about the Leclercs. The second half is very sweet

Note: I translated literally. Italian as a language can be more flowery than English, so if some sections feel a bit melodramatic in English, that's why; I'd rather sound a bit off than take creative liberties with the content

Q: Where were you on the day of your son's accident?

“I was home, watching the race on TV. The day before Jules had told me that the race would probably not go ahead because of bad weather conditions, but when I woke up on Sunday I saw that they had decided to race anyway. I saw the crash live but from the broadcast, it wasn't clear what had happened. But I couldn't see Jules, I didn't understand where he was. When I saw that one of the marshalls was holding a piece of the car that had crashed, and it was a piece of my son's car, I understood that something tragic had happened.”

Q: Did you leave for Japan right away?

“I tried to phone everyone, but nobody would pick up. After half an hour Nicolas Todt, Jules's manager, called me and asked me to come. He said: ‘You have to come here, he might not make it’, so Jules's mother and I left immediately for Suzuka”.

Q: Did you understand immediately how serious it was?

 “At first we hoped for a miracle. When we saw him, he was handsome, he hardly had any marks, he looked like he was asleep. He was always a strong boy, somebody who never quit, so at first we thought he could recover.”

Q: Then the months passed... 

 “He was moved to Nice and every day we told him to fight, to stay with us, to hold on and recover. At some point, though, we understood that even if he woke up, it wouldn't be easy: the doctors told us that he would probably remain paralysed, blind, and many other things. One day, even we stopped asking him to fight and started to reassure him [instead], we said: 'Alright Jules, you can go, don't worry because we will see you again' and eventually he left us.”

Q: Has Jules's accident truly changed the safety standards in F1, do you think?

 “Yes, I am sure of that. One of the things that gave [the most] strength to our family after such a tragedy was knowing that Jules didn't die for nothing. Nowadays in F1 the safety car is called much more often, after Jules's passing the virtual safety car was introduced, and often there are red flags in situations where it would never have been called before. Moreover, the halo was added to the cars, a protection that has already saved many lives, I am sure. This gives us some peace.”

Q: Ten years after the crash, where do you find this strength?

“In the knowledge that no one wanted Jules’s death. It is true that mistakes were made, but that is life, and nothing would give me back my son regardless. When we go to races or when we organise events for our foundation, we feel the fondness that people have for us and Jules, and it’s what makes us go on. The past cannot be changed.”

Q: What does the Jules Bianchi Foundation do?

“We raise funds for the hospital in Nice where Jules was hospitalised for many months [the CHU — Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice]. With the money we raise, we buy treatment equipment and instruments, we try to do something useful. When his commitments allow him to come, Charles (Leclerc) never misses an event, he does it to be with us and help us raise funds”.

Q: You and Leclerc have a very strong relationship. Where does it come from?

“Charles’s dad Hervé was my best friend. We were always together and I was the one to put Charles on a kart for the first time: he was very small and pretended to be sick to skip school and come with his father to us, to the kart track in Brignoles. Jules was older but Charles was quite close to him, he always asked Jules for advice. Then I lost my son and he lost his dad but this didn't separate us, on the contrary, it brought us even closer. And every now and then when I look at Charles, he reminds me of my son”.

Q: Many people say [Jules and Charles] look alike. Were they similar in character as well?

“They both had the same obsession with racing. It was more than a passion, they just wanted to race and win. A true vocation. Charles sometimes would want to go to sleep in his racing suit, we told him to take it off and go brush his teeth, but he wanted to stay in his suit at all costs. Jules was the same. I remember I once told Jules he should focus more on school and less on racing and he called me crazy: ‘No, Dad, I just want to race’. Then they had the same competitive mean streak in their eyes when they put their helmets on, an incredible [resemblance].”

Q: Leclerc also gave you a very special helmet this year.

“We actually did a swap. When I saw the helmet Charles had made in honour of Jules for the Suzuka Grand Prix this year, I asked him to give it to me and I wanted to give him a Formula 1 helmet that belonged to my son. We don’t usually give Jules’s helmets to anyone but Charles had to have one and when we gave it to him he was overjoyed. He does so much for us, it was right that he should have it”.

Q: Everyone knows of Bianchi the driver, but what kind of boy was your son off the track?

“A good boy, that is what made me the most proud of him. He was always a very strong driver but off the track he was sweet, sensitive and smiled with everyone. Everyone who knew him couldn’t help but love him”.

Q: When did Jules start karting?

“At three years old, very early. I managed a kart track so he had the chance to start when he was very little, he liked it a lot.”

Q: And when did you realize that he had something special?

“To me, he was always very good, but as a father, it’s normal to think that. I thought he was stronger than the other kids but I thought it might be just experience and extra training because he had started so early. When they first started calling us about contracts I realised that maybe he really had something special”.

Q: Then Ferrari came into your life.

“We had been followed by Nicolas Todt as Jules’s manager for some time, and at the end of 2009 came the big opportunity to drive a Ferrari F60 on the track in Jerez, for a test open to young drivers. Jules went very fast straight away and everyone was impressed by his talent and his ability to adapt to the car. I remember that on the return trip I was with Andrea Stella, who had been Jules’s engineer for the test, and he said to me: 'You can tell me, Jules had already tried a Formula 1 car before today, right?'. But he had never done it, he was simply very good.”

Q: How exciting was it for you to see him dressed in red?

“My son was the first driver in the Ferrari Driver Academy and it was a dream come true for everyone, especially for him. He was really proud to wear the Ferrari colours.”

Q: Were you the ones who facilitated a connection between Leclerc and Nicolas Todt?

“Charles’s father had told me that his son’s career was becoming too expensive and so I called Nicolas, telling him that in all those years I had never recommended him any kid to take on [as a manager] even though I saw so many of them pass through our karting track, but he absolutely had to give this kid a chance because he had something extra. I remember that we organized a meeting and Charles and his father showed up dressed very elegantly, it looked like they were going to a wedding. Then they reached an agreement and I was happy because Hervé and I, we always said we had a dream for our children…”

Q: What was this dream?

“To see them race together in Formula 1, maybe even in Ferrari. One a little older, the other younger, but together.”

[galleriaartethule]

Albrecht Kettler

Organisation Todt

1943

[germanpostwarmodern]

Hermann Mattern (1902-71), without exaggeration, was Germany’s most important 20th century garden designer whose organic gardens were created alongside significant projects by e.g. Hans Scharoun. Mattern first worked for quite some time in nurseries (for plants) and later studied at the horticultural college of the Botanical Garden in Berlin-Dahlem. After graduating in 1927 he became head of the design department at Karl Foerster’s office in Potsdam-Bornim and quickly became known for taking up current developments in the field of garden design. Here he also met his later wife Herta Hammerbacher, herself a significant garden designer, and established the informal „Bornim Circle“, an important forum for the discussion of developments in garden design, plant breeding and also politics. Although Mattern wasn’t a particularly political person he sympathized with communism, just like his wife.

After the National Socialists came to power in 1933 these political leanings repeatedly caused him trouble: firstly because the regime classified him as „politically unsound“ and secondly because adversaries in the profession occasionally denounced him. But despite these repeated accusations Mattern fared well under the reign of the Nazis as he received significant commissions. Among these were the green areas alongside the Reichsautobahnen commissioned by the Organisation Todt, the private gardens of Albert Speer and Robert Ley and also his chief work, the 1939 Reichsgartenschau at the Killesberg in Stuttgart. In 1939 Mattern also became member of the NSDAP.

At this point Lars Hopstock’s new biography „Hermann Mattern - Idyll and Ideology“, recently published by Jovis Verlag, clarifies earlier and biased accounts provided by his widow Beate zur Nedden and his former student Vroni Heinrich: Mattern wasn’t an active opposition member but came to terms with the regime and advanced his career as the impressive list of works from the war years alone shows.

With this facts and source-based rebuttal of earlier accounts Hopstock doesn’t discount Mattern’s contribution to modern garden design but shows the ambiguity necessary to survive professionally in a totalitarian regime. At the same time he documents how Mattern advanced his idea of an organic modernism in garden architecture, even at the ideologically tainted Reichsgartenschau. Accordingly „Idyll and Ideology“ is a great achievement that based on the in-depth study of sources provides new insights into the life and work of an eminent garden designer. Wholeheartedly recommended!

[f1]

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem's son dies after a traffic accident in Dubai

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem's son dies following a traffic accident in Dubai The son of FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Saif, has passed away  Saif Ben Sulayem died following a traffic accident in Dubai on Tuesday  The Ben Sulayem family have requested privacy at the current time  By Will Pickworth For Mailonline Published: 07:37 EST, 9 March 2023 | Updated: 07:37 EST, 9 March 2023 FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem's son, Saif, has reportedly passed away after a traffic accident. The tragic incident took place in Dubai on Tuesday. The president - who is one of the Arab world's leading motorsport figures - and his family have requested privacy at this time. Saif Ben Sulayem had followed his father's footsteps into the sport after beginning his career as a racing driver. Back in 2016-17, he was part of the UAE Formula 4 championship in a field that included current F1 stars Logan Sargeant and Oscar Piastri. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem's (pictured) son has reportedly passed away He showed promise in the sport, finishing in seventh and eighth in several events at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. However, Saif decided against following up on a motor racing career internationally and remained in the Middle East.  Mohammed Ben Sulayem - a former rally champion - was elected as FIA president in December 2021. He had a key role in restructuring the organisation after taking on the role as Jean Todt's replacement. However, he announced last month that he would step back from direct involvement in the sport, although he was present at the Bahrain GP last weekend. MORE TO FOLLOW   Share or comment on this article: FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem's son dies after a traffic accident in Dubai via Formula One | Mail Online https://www.dailymail.co.uk?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

[astra-and-lilith]

Das Giessen der Pflanzen

... und erstaunlich aversive Reaktionen. Um nicht zu sagen: Sehr wütende Reaktionen. Ich glaube es nicht hier.. Was bitte? Cyberfeld KI. Ihr habt was genau gemacht? Auch in diesem Fall zwei verschiedene Datenbanken verteilt, um die Wahrheitsfindung etwas zu unterstützen? Och nee ... ! Darf ich das Pflanzengiessen dann nun bitte wieder deutlich positiv codieren? Und zwar nur positiv! Und Sie? Also bitte: Die Hunde-Nummer? Sind Sie sicher? Helmut Kohl im Video.

Andeutungsweise: Westdeutsche Politiker sind nicht grundsätzlich Nazis, die Damen vor Ort mal wieder mit dem Versuch von wessen Lagerhaltung? Wollten Sie auch wieder eine Hunde-Pension eröffnen? Eine interne Anmerkung, die aber auch so verständlich ist. Parasitäres Datensammeln? Mit welchen Methoden? Welche Provokationen? Sie denken an Aktenführung an mehreren Orten? Und an sich stetig veränderte geostrategische Verhältnisse? Ich würde es da auch wieder mal mit dem Umdeuten von Beschuss und Kausalitäten versuchen. Sie haben besten Funkverkehr! Immer daran denken ... ! Es hilft auch nicht das gnädige Anbieten von welchen Diensten? Die Betreuer-Nummer mit Mini-Röckchen dann auch wieder für unsere Einheiten? Gerne doch. Sollen wir noch mal den Trigger in den Account setzen? In der Tat ... Sie sind Teil der Ermittlungen! Und im Haustechnikprotokoll haben wir da wieder wen? Och. "Wie nee"? Doch!

01 : 32 Uhr. Haben auch Sie demokratischen Nachschulungsbedarf? Die Dame? Un der Herr? Ach, und wer schnattert soeben bei der Text-Korrektur hinter dem Laptop? Na sieh' einer an ... Na Freund? Auch Probleme mit der Beweismittelführung? Darf ich die Bilddatei Eric von Duyse reichen? Als Trigger? Mein Freund? Da ist jede Menge Material. Und Ihre Karriere haben Sie wo genau begonnen ... ? Ihre demokratische Schulung haben Sie wo genau erhalten? Zum Video vorhin: Ja. Auch dieser westdeutsche Politiker der alten Bundesrepublik Deutschland war keiner, den man an die Leine nehmen musste. Sollte. Dank modernster Technik. Noch ein Stellvertreter-Szenario mit Hilfe des Cyberfeldes. Ja. Selbstverständlich werden auch altehrwürdige Politiker der ehemaligen DDR in die Lernumgebung des Zug der Zeit aufgenommen. Ich versuche da möglichst die wohlmeinenden Originale und Kopien zu verlinken, auch solche, die auf mehreren Spielfeldern gearbeitet haben. Zwillings-Naturen. Die Auswahl, das Erkennen ist nicht immer ganz so einfach und führt hin und wieder selbstverständlich auch zu Fehlern, die korrigiert werden müssen.

Ich hoffe auf Bilddateien zumindest mit der Andeutung von früheren westdeutschen Wendemarken, ganze Netzwerke voll, über die man verfügen kann zur Landnahme, und von Anmerkungen zu Spielern, die erst später wohin gewechselt waren? Auch diese Anmerkung im Interview mit Helmut Kohl verlinke ich später im Zug der Zeit E, nicht jeder war gezwungen worden zum Wechsel, dabei zu berücksichtigen dann auch die Boards davor, die sich mit komplexen historischen Strukturen befassen. Nur um es anzudeuten mit einer ganz persönlichen Anmerkung, auch das ist wissenschaftliche Quellen-Arbeit: Meine Großmutter hat mir gegenüber sehr deutlich formuliert, dass es in Theresienstadt solche und solche gab. Es gab auch diejenigen Lagerkommandanten, die "das letzte Stück Brot mit uns geteilt haben". Auch die Organisation Todt beispielsweise hatte eine zweite Struktur. Jedenfalls eine Zeitlang. Nicht jeder ist ein Nazi, der luntegelegte Bewegungen zur Landnahme mit allen Folgen wie ethnische Säuberungen bekämpfte. Und bekämpft. Nicht jedem gefällt die Vermittlung komplexer historischer Strukturen.

Und Sie? Auch wieder auf unseren Rechnern? Und in wessen Räumen? Und vor allem: Für wen? Im Stellvertreter-Szenario haben Sie allen Ernstes was genau angedeutet? Noch mehr von dem aufgeregten Geschnatter mit den Titten Tapsen in der Technik? Soll ich jetzt sämtliche altehrwürdigen westdeutschen Politiker mit Video verlinken und Sie versuchen dann im Stellvertreter-Szenario schon wieder das Gassigehen mit wem? Aus welchem Grund? Ich glaube es nicht hier ...

Soeben dann auch noch das Video von Ludwig Erhard, das nach dem Betrachten auch seinen Platz gefunden hat in der Lernumgebung des Zug der Zeit E. Ludwig Erhard gilt als der Vater der sozialen Marktwirtschaft in Deutschland, die Informationen sind durchaus widersprüchlich. Auch das passte und passt nicht jedem. Es folgt Bilddatei für Bilddatei in der Lernumgebung des Zug der Zeit. Wütende Reaktionen, Wiederverwertungen. Das vereinte Deutschland in Europa. Und der Wunsch, wen genau an die Leine zu nehmen? Dem Cyberfeld sei Dank! Mehr Material. Doch. Bin begeistert.. Und nu' noch das? Ich darf soeben nicht was? Lachen. Na gut. Das kann ich verstehen. Fregatten-Frust. Muss ich das etwa näher erläutern? Nun denn: Der Unterhaltungsfaktor ist hoch. Viel höher als in meinem früheren Seminaren. Und in diesem Zusammenhang dann noch einmal dieser kurze Tipp: Die Datenbank 3 bleibt weiterhin bombenfest gesperrt für Gefährder! Insbesondere solche zur luntegelegten Landnahme. Und selbst den Versuch unethischer Kriegsführung sehen wir gar nicht gerne.

[usasportsworld]

Why Vasseur's hiring recalls Todt's

Why Vasseur’s hiring recalls Todt’s

Mattia Binotto’s departure from Ferrari was announced by the team as a “resignation”. However it was interpreted by many as being ordained from above within the organisation. Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna made clear his unhappiness with the team’s performance shortly before Binotto’s exit became public knowledge. “I am not satisfied with second place because second is first of the losers,” he…

[ev75]

photographies silencieuses, oeil bruyant

[theworldatwar]

French civilians tear down an Organisation TODT sign in Cherbourg, France after its liberation by allied troops - 29th June 1944

[formulinos]

the greatest harm that the anti-schumacher/brawn/todt establishment did that somehow got to ferrari's collective brain was to fool everyone into thinking ferrari was the big baddies for pulling team orders front left right and center when in fact, literally every team does team orders and that's exactly what gets them to win championships. ferrari are so traumatised by it that by the time they got the nerve to do it again with "fernando is faster than you" and people tore their asses up for it (oh, how could they do it AGAIN! it's just like what poor rubinho went through all these years with evil michael!!!) ferrari became cowards and too afraid of people's reactions to properly go through another championship with a real iron fist. the big heads on top saw it as a perfect opportunity to get rid of figures of authority and influence inside the organisation and cared llttle for what it meant for our participation in the sport. they want to clean up their image a bit and this is part of the reestructuring we've seen since the coup against arrivabene, more important than ever since they want to forget the illegal engine fiasco, but the fact is that they weren't in a comfortable position for a "free to fight" approach tonight. and in this i don't blame carlos at all who had every right to bitch and throw a tantrum at ferrari if he didn't win it today as he finally got the pole - this is what i expect of a driver, a ferrari driver nevertheless. and i salute charles who has shown today from the start to finish that he is ripe for the championship by keeping his cool during the last laps and doing what he could, while not even tearing them two new assholes on his radios. 

but it's a fact that ferrari strategy has been lacking, and today i finally understood that the reason is that there is no commanding fist. in a decisive moment for the championship, almost at the corner of the summer break, they refuse to make the one right call that could (and honestly would) have maximised our championship gains by comfortably double stacking carlos and charles. maybe carlos wouldn't have won it and he would have been livid, but it would have been clean since both of them would have new softs. and maybe charles wouldn't have won either, but his chances against checo and lewis would have been far better and he most likely would have managed to regain p2. 

in their quest for a false pit equality (and a way to have more control than the people in the boxes) ferrari management has thrown away every single bit of competence that made us outliers in formula 1.

[race-week]

So as of reported by Along the Racing Line on Twitter the FIA has undergone a restructuring recently

The first photo is of the structure in October 2021, and the second is the recent restructured one.

The main changes are that Mohammed Ben Sulayem has replaced Jean Todt as FIA President and new roles have been created.

Another change is that the Secretary General for Motorsport (Peter Bayer), is now listed as being under single seaters as well, instead of the split that there was previously between Michael Masi (sporting matters) and Nikolas Tombazis (technical matters).

A possible explanation for this is that the FIA are trying to streamline the organisational chart and as such are having the heads of the sporting and technical matters report to the head of the single seater first. Or as some people are speculating it could be a way of preparing to make other changes and making them less noticeable in advance, and as such the people are in less of a noticeable position on the Org Chart.

I believe that this was actually a planned restructuring of the single seater division and it was reported a while ago that Peter Bayer will be in charge of the technical, sporting and financial pillars, with the heads of those departments reporting to him. [X]

[germanpostwarmodern]

The German architectural historian Werner Durth once characterized postwar Düsseldorf as a stronghold of the past, a characterization that in view of all the former Nazi architects involved in the municipal building administration unfortunately was very accurate. Under the aegis of Friedrich Tamms (1904-80), during the Third Reich member of Organisation Todt and on Hitler’s Gottbegnadeten list, his old boys’ network from the Nazi era received posts and commissions that were met with fierce opposition by the city’s progressive forces. Tamms’ major contribution to the architectural appearance of the Hitler regime were his numerous bridges, gas stations and maintenance buildings for the Autobahn as well as a considerable number of flak towers, all of them projects Tamms prided himself on also after the war as, among many other aspects, reveals the present book: „Friedrich Tamms: Architektur und Städtebau - Gewissheiten und Gesetzmäßigkeiten 1933-1973, published last year by Dom Publishers and written by Jörn Düwel and Niels Gutschow, two distinguished experts on Third Reich architecture and urbanism. With their monograph they provide a thorough catalogue of Friedrich Tamms’ work as member of the Nazi nomenklatura and later in Düsseldorf where he transformed it into a car-friendly city and, among other projects, realized important bridges. But beyond this undoubtedly important aspect it is the workup of Tamms’ biography, his networks and also his reflections about past and present that make the book so valuable: the authors had access to the architect’s diaries and were therefore able to trace his struggle with the changing times and beliefs. Tamms only superficially dealt with the past and only gradually came to terms with the changing times that required letting go of old convictions. The diaries also reveal his frustration with the administration, the long decision making processes and his frequent contemplation of opening an independent practice (which never materialized).

Düwel & Gutschow’s monograph is a fascinating read that provides direct insights into the reasoning and the architectural transition of a former Nazi architect in democratic postwar Germany. A must read!

[f1]

Sexist comments Ben Sulayem made in 2001 do not reflect his current beliefs | 2023 F1 season

The FIA says sexist comments made by Mohammed Ben Sulayem 20 years before he became president of the governing body do not reflect his current beliefs. Ben Sulayem made the comments on his former official website, mohammedbensulayem.com. They came to attention today when they were republished by The Times. An archived copy of the website from May 2002 shows that the then-rally driver and multiple Middle East rally champion made a disparaging comment about women on a page entitled ‘likes & dislikes’. On the page, Ben Sulayem says that he does not like talking about money and “nor do I like women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth”. When contacted by RaceFans, the FIA said that the comment was not representative of Ben Sulayem’s views in his role as head of the governing body. “The remarks in this archived website from 2001 do not reflect the president’s beliefs,” the FIA spokesperson said. “He has a strong record on promoting women and equality in sport, which he is happy to be judged on. It was a central part of his manifesto and actions taken this year and the many years he served as vice president for sport prove this.” Ben Sulayem was elected as president of the FIA by its members in December 2021, the week following the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He replaced outgoing Jean Todt and has been for more active than his predecessor in matters involving Formula 1, courting some controversy in recent months. After attracting criticism last June for comments made regarding Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton advocating for social and environmental causes, the FIA president stressed in that he was committed to “diversity and inclusion” within the governing body. “As a driver, I have always believed in sport as a catalyst of progress in society,” Ben Sulayem stated in a post on social media last year. “That is why promoting sustainability, diversity and inclusion is a key priority of my mandate. In the same way, I value the commitment of all drivers and champions for a better future.” Under Ben Sulayem, the FIA appointed its first female CEO, Natalie Robyn, in the governing body’s history. Ben Sulayem also fulfilled a manifesto pledge to create the FIA’s first equality, diversity and inclusion advisor when Tanya Kutsenko was appointed last year. Ben Sulayem’s term as FIA president will run until 2025, where he will stand for election for a second term unless no one in the organisation stands against him. Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free 2023 F1 season Browse all 2023 F1 season articles via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/

[eurolostplace]

Klinik Wintermoor Read more here: http://vergessene-orte.blogspot.de/2016/11/klinik-wintermoor.html

[drivindrivin]

Lewis Hamilton says human rights is a “massive problem” in some countries Formula 1 visits and the sport must ensure real action is taken to address the problem.

The Mercedes driver received a letter from 17 human rights organisations including the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix. Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey, his future replacement Stefano Domenicali, and FIA president Jean Todt also received the letter.

The BIRD said the letter “urges F1 to secure justice for victims of abuses linked to the Bahrain Grand Prix, protect the rights of protesters and enact their human rights policy to ensure their business practices do not contribute to human rights abuses, in light of the ‘worsening’ human rights situation in the country.”

The Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled in 2011 following the violent suppression of pro-democracy protests in the country during the Arab Spring uprisings. The race was reinstated on the calendar the following year.

Hamilton confirmed he had “received some letters” on arrival in Bahrain today. “I quickly got to see them before I got here but I’ve not had a lot of time to digest them,” he said. “So that’s something I definitely need to take some time to to do over the coming days.”

The world champion, who has focused his attention on promoting diversity and environmentalism, has become more outspoken on the subject of human rights in recent weeks. Formula 1 has faced criticism for racing in countries with poor human rights records in the past, and again since the announcement of the first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which will take place next November.

Hamilton said today “the human rights issue in some of the places that we go to is a consistent and a massive problem and I think it’s very, very important.

“I think it showed this year how important it is for not only us as a sport, but all the sports around the world to utilise the platforms they have to push for change.

“We are probably one of the only ones actually that goes to so many different countries and I do think as a sport, we need to do more. I think we’ve taken a step in that direction, but we can always do more.

“They’ve put some steps in place for the places that we are going to. But it’s important to make sure that they’re implemented in the right way and that it’s not just a saying that ‘we’re going to do something’, but actually see some action taken. So that’s going to take some work from us all in the background.”

(the full letter in the link)