Lewis Hamilton encouraged to take a stand as politicians accuse F1 of 'sportswashing'

Lewis Hamilton has been told to boycott Formula One races if the sport does not improve its human rights image.

The new F1 season starts in Bahrain on Sunday before heading to Saudi Arabia for the second round of a 23-race campaign.

Both countries have been criticised for their human rights record, with F1 and its governing body, the FIA, accused of “sportswashing”.

Hamilton, 38, has been vocal in calling on F1 to do more to address the issue, and Britain's Lord Scriven – vice chairman of Britain's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Democracy and Human Rights in the Gulf – said the English driver would be within his rights not to compete.

He said: “Lewis and others would be correct to say that unless F1 and the FIA put in place a framework which is in line with the United Nations’ guiding principle on business and human rights, that he and other drivers would feel uncomfortable about racing. And unless that framework is put in place they would seek not to race.

“They could increase pressure, both in terms of highlighting the topic, but also getting the dinosaurs of managers and administrators of their sport to actually put in place the correct framework so there is a systematic legal approach to how F1 and the FIA decide where to race.”

Lord Scriven’s signature featured alongside eight members of parliament – including the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn – in an open letter sent to F1 boss Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem on Tuesday.

On my way to an event to highlight that @F1 leaders should be following some drivers' actions in speaking out against human rights abuses in countries they race in. Not just following the money and allowing rulers in places like Bahrain to use the race as a