Lewis Hamilton said it is the responsibility of athletes to raises objections to country's human rights' records, ahead of F1's first Qatar Grand Prix.
Qatar hosts its debut race in Losail this weekend and has signed a 10-year deal to host a race from 2023 onwards.
Human rights groups are critical of Qatar for a number of issues, including male guardianship policies and laws against women and LGBTQ+ individuals. The state's sponsored labour policy has also been brought into focus as Qatar ramps up preparations to host next year's football World Cup.
Hamilton, who has become F1's loudest voice for speaking about global issues, said it would be wrong to shy away from objecting to the country's record ahead of the race.