Racing for Reputation : Strategic Framing and Output Legitimacy in Saudi Arabia’s Formula 1 Communications.

Sammanfattning

This thesis investigates how the Saudi Arabian state uses the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as a tool for output legitimacy seeking. It does this by employing a qualitative content analysis of official state communications from the Saudi Press Agency, the Ministry of Sport and SaudiArabianGP. The study examines the strategic framing of the 2025 event. Drawing on theories of strategic framing and silence, this thesis identifies how narratives of organisational capacity, economic performance and modernity are prioritised to project an image of state competence and progress. Additionally, the study explores the concept of strategic silence by contrasting official sources with critical reports, analysing how issues regarding human rights and labour conditions are systematically concealed and/or omitted. The findings suggest that Formula 1 serves as a high-visibility platform for Saudi Arabia to manifest its goals, legitimising governance through tangible outputs.