Lewis Hamilton and his fellow drivers have been urged to boycott Formula 1 races by politicians, if the sport fails to improve its stance around 'sportswashing' and human rights abuses.
The issue has been heavily raised within F1 for a number of years, with the decision to hold races in the likes of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia coming under heavy scrutiny due to the poor human rights records in those countries. Hamilton himself has been a huge advocate for more to be done - speaking out on multiple race weekends.
The discussion has once again become a hot topic with F1 due to kick off their 2023 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix later this week.
The seven-time world champion has raised the point on a number of occasions, but has now been called upon to go one step further in his protests. This comes after he was told to boycott races throughout the 2023 season, if F1 bosses fail to improve their image.
Lord Scriven - vice chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Democracy and Human Rights in the Gulf - 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."
The group penned an open letter - which included the signatures of Lord Scriven and former leader of Labour party Jeremy Corbyn - to F1 boss Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem. Within the letter, F1 and the FIA are accused of "ongoing sportswashing". MPs have also called on an "independent and impartial inquiry to assess the implications of F1 races in human rights violations."
In response an F1 spokesperson said: "For decades Formula One has worked hard be a positive force everywhere it races, including economic, social, and cultural benefits. Sports like Formula One are uniquely positioned to cross borders and cultures to bring countries and communities together to share the passion and excitement of incredible competition and achievement.
"We take our responsibilities very seriously and have made our position on human rights and other issues clear to all our partners and host countries who commit to respect human rights in the way their events are hosted and delivered."
The FIA added: "At the pinnacle of motor sport, F1 events take place across a huge spectrum of different countries and cultures around the world.
"It is our belief that the most fundamental goal of motor sport, and all sport, is founded on the desire to increase our common ground and cultivate the principles of cooperation and commonality between people. The FIA, as is the case with other international sporting federations, cannot interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign state.
"This independence from the affairs of states, as underlined by the International Olympic Committee, does not mean however that we are insensitive to any potential hardships endured by the people concerned. The FIA will continue to work on projects that bring positive benefits to the wider society, acting always within its scope as the regulator of world motor sport."
