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Global Issue Project
The Role of Sportswashing and Geopolitics in the Sport of Formula 1
Formula 1 is one of the biggest sports in the world hosting 24 Grand Prix across, 22 countries, and five continents in the 2026 season. Formula 1 had about 827 million worldwide viewers and an average of 70 million viewers per race in 2025. Formula 1 combines the grit and toughness of motorsoprt with glamour and fame making it one of the most dramatic, highstakes and controversial sports in the world. Because of the money and fame involved in the sport it is often used as a method of sportswashing (the use of sport to redirect public attention away from unethical conduct) by countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Qatar, and Bahrain.
For me personally, I like to watch and learn about Formula 1 because of the mental challenge involved to predict races and learn about strategy used. The reason I chose to do my project on Formula 1 is because of my enjoyment of the sport, but the reason I specifically did my project on Sportswashing is because I find the dynamics of geopolitics in sports to be very interesting. My research for this project involved more than just researching replacement tracks, but it involved in depth knowlege into human rights issues, geopolitics, and economics. My product is an interactive map made on Genially that shows each active Formula 1 track, which ones are plagued with issues, and proposed replacement tracks.
Interactive Map
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