The decision has been made for the Saudi Arabian GP to go ahead despite concerns from many of the drivers. This weekend’s race was called into question after a number of hostile attacks targeted Jeddah.
F1 personnel including drivers and team principals were pulled into a meeting this evening to discuss whether the grand prix should go ahead. After hours of deliberation it seems a decision has been made that it’s safe to go forward with the race.
Last year the Saudi Arabian GP brought a staggering 143,000 spectators to the newly built track and this year they are expecting a similar number. However, the event came under threat this morning when an Aramco oil facility was hit by a missile attack only 10km away from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
The attack occurred during FP1 but the session was not directly affected and continued as normal. F2 Qualifying also went ahead just 15 minutes later. Spectators commented that they could see smoke and a fire in the distance, demonstrating just how close the attack was.
FP2 was postponed by 15 minutes and a meeting was scheduled as the threat of more attacks continued to loom. Drivers and team principals were seen coming in and out of the meeting throughout its duration, with some drivers visually expressing their unhappiness to racing in an unsafe area. The meeting continued into the early hours of the morning in Jeddah, until finally the decision was made.