F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said "no one can judge our morality" after defending the decision to hold Sunday's Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.
Friday's practice sessions were disrupted following a missile attack on an oil facility nine miles from the circuit, causing a fire outbreak which was easily visible from the Jeddah track. A series of meetings between drivers and F1 officials then took place, with the decision to press ahead with qualifying on Saturday finally made at around 2.30am that morning.
A number of drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, were thought to have serious reservations about continuing. However, an F1 statement said that the Saudi government, authorities and security agencies had "given full and detailed assurances that the event is secure."
The incident has heightened the scrutiny over the event in Saudi, with critics having already pointed towards the country's deplorable human rights record and accused F1 bosses of engaging in 'sport washing.' The race is worth around £50 million a year to the sport, and could even host a second Grand Prix in 2022 with a replacement still being sought for the Russia Grand Prix.
But Domenicali, 56, has argued going ahead with the race would have had a "positive impact" politically. "No one can judge our morality, to be honest, where is the line? That is the question," he told Sky Sports.
"Our position, and it will always be, is we believe what we're doing will have a very positive impact in all the political situations - and at all levels. This will always be the consideration we will take for our future in the sport, all over the world."
Asked whether there were now question marks over the future of the race in Saudi, he replied: "It is not a matter of questions marks; it is a matter of understanding the situation. We are not blind, but we should not forget one thing, this country and the sport is taking a massive step forward. You cannot pretend to change a culture of more than a millennium in the blink of an eye."
Domenicali's defiance is unlikely to deter criticism though, or the perception amongst many that commercial value was prioritised above driver safety. The race itself proved a dramatic affair, with Max Verstappen overtaking Charles Leclerc with four laps remaining before hanging on to take the chequered flag. Leclerc's Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz was third.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton though, endured a difficult weekend. He was eliminated from Q1 and set to start the race 16th on the grid, but was elevated a place due to the withdrawal of Mick Schumacher following a bad crash in qualifying.
The Mercedes man got up to sixth, but a safety car scuppered his strategy and after an impromptu pit stop, he found himself back in 12th. He did however, manage two late overtakes to secure a solitary point.
The next race takes place in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday, April 10. Following that, teams head to Italy a fortnight later.
