F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has said that the Saudi Grand Prix will be held after the attack on a nearby oil depot.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has said that the Saudi Grand Prix will be held after the attack on a nearby oil depot.
Formula 1 Saudi Arabia’s GP continues as planned despite the attack on an oil depot near the Jeddah track, with Stefano Domenicali insisting that they have received “full assurance” of safety from the authorities.
An Aramco oil depot – about seven miles from the track – caught fire during the first training session in Saudi Arabia and a large black cloud of smoke was visible from the F1 track. Yemeni Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a barrage of attacks in the kingdom.
Training continued as normal, although there was a 15-minute delay to the start of the second training session as the drivers and team leaders met with F1 president Domenicali and FIA Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
There was another meeting after P2, which was also attended by a delegation from Saudi Arabia, after which the leaders of F1 and FIA appeared at 22:40 local time and confirmed that the Grand Prix will continue.
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Sky F1’s Simon Lazenby provides information on developments following the fire at an oil depot in Jeddah, which Yemeni Houthi rebels claim was an attack by the group.
Sky F1’s Simon Lazenby provides information on developments following the fire at an oil depot in Jeddah, which Yemeni Houthi rebels claim was an attack by the group.
“First we have received full assurance of the country’s security,” Domenicali said. “They have installed all the systems to protect this area. So, we feel confident that we have to trust the local authority in this regard. Of course we will proceed with the event.”
Ben Sulayem added that the attackers “did not aim at the track”.
“We had meetings with the high level of security and then we had meetings with the team leaders and the drivers,” said the FIA president. “And to assure you that they are targeting the infrastructure of the economy, not the citizens and of course not the track.
“Of course we have checked the facts from them and we had the assurance from the high security authorities here and let’s go to races.”
The fire at the North Jeddah Bulk Plant broke out about seven miles from the Jeddah circuit.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said: “It was a good meeting, the drivers will now speak at a driver meeting. We are the team leaders, they have assured us that we are protected here and it is probably the safest place you can be. in Saudi Arabia right now and that ‘s what we’re fighting for. [It was a unanimous decision] From the team leaders, yes “.
Red Bull director Christian Horner added: “I believe that the sport must be united collectively. Any terrorist act can not be forgiven and sport must not be intimidated in one place – such a situation is simply unacceptable. We are facing the president, there have been all the assurances from the organizers and we will go to matches “.
The drivers, whose canceled media commitments were canceled, held a regular briefing with the race director on Friday, but then met to discuss the situation. These conversations lasted for more than four hours and lasted until the early hours of Saturday morning with the drivers continuing to speak at 01:00 local time.
Reports indicate that after lengthy discussions, the drivers agreed to continue racing at the weekend.
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Watch as the smoke was visible from the Jeddah track in Saudi Arabia as Craig Slater reports on the fire and condition of Sunday’s race.
Watch as the smoke was visible from the Jeddah track in Saudi Arabia as Craig Slater reports on the fire and condition of Sunday’s race.
Yemen’s Houthi rebel group claims responsibility for attack | No casualties were reported
Neither F1 nor the FIA has confirmed that the fire was caused by an attack.
However, Yemeni Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a barrage of attacks in the kingdom, according to the Associated Press, and the Saudi Motor Sports Company has also reported an attack.
“We are aware of the attack on the Aramco distribution station in Jeddah earlier this afternoon,” the statement said.
“The race organizers are in direct contact with the security authorities of Saudi Arabia, as well as the F1 and the FIA to ensure that all necessary safety and security measures continue to be implemented to ensure the safety of all visitors to the Grand Prix of Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabia. as well as all drivers, groups and stakeholders.
“The weekend program of the games will continue as planned. The safety and security of all our visitors continues to be our top priority and we look forward to welcoming fans to a weekend of racing and premium entertainment.”
Fire breaks out near Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia during Friday training
The fire focused on the same oil depot that the Houthis had attacked in recent days.
Al-Masirah, a satellite news channel run by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, claimed to have attacked Aramco facilities in Jeddah, along with other targets in Riyadh and elsewhere. The report did not provide further details.
Saudi state television acknowledged that a “hostile operation” had taken place at the Aramco facility in Jeddah. Reuters reported that there were no casualties and that the fire was under control.
All driver media sessions were canceled on Friday night, although near the end of the first training session, Verstappen told the group radio: “I smell a burning sensation. I’m not sure if it ‘s my car or another car.”
Gianpiero Lambiaze’s engineer replied: “We are glad that it is not your car”.
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Max Verstappen said he could feel a “burn” in his Red Bull F1 car during his first training session at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Max Verstappen said he could feel a “burn” in his Red Bull F1 car during his first training session at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Explaining the situation in Jeddah
Analysis by Craig Slater of Sky Sports News
“We learned that the explosion was caused by an attack on an Aramco oil plant that set fire to two tanks.
“Reuters reports that there are no casualties.
“The Houthi rebels from Yemen claimed responsibility for this, they did it immediately after the incident on a satellite news channel they run. There was an ongoing conflict in Yemen, the government forces with the help of the coalition under Saudi Arabia were essentially guerrilla warfare for the past seven years and these rocket attacks were a fairly common but rare occurrence and Jeddah had been targeted in the past, but shocking that it could happen during such a major event.
“It took some time for F1 to confirm the reports that it was indeed an attack, that they wanted confirmation from the Saudi authorities. What F1 said was that it was in close contact with the authorities, as they continue to call it, today.
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Watch as the smoke was visible from the Jeddah track in Saudi Arabia as Craig Slater reports on the fire and condition of Sunday’s race.
Watch as the smoke was visible from the Jeddah track in Saudi Arabia as Craig Slater reports on the fire and condition of Sunday’s race.
“The authorities have confirmed that the event can continue as planned.
“Formula 1 knew about the possibility of these rocket attacks before they got here. I spoke with Prince Khalid, who is the circuit president at Silverstone, and he assured me that the air defense systems were sufficient to stop an attack from passing. .
“Domenicali is on the ground and is able to deal with this situation. It was a bit strange when we heard that it was a deliberate attack, because what can one say about what these people could then attack. They never gave any indication that they will attack the Grand Prix itself of course, but must be considered a health and safety hazard.
“Everything happened very quickly. Formula 1 exists, if I am honest, in a small bubble away from the important events from the racetracks around the world and the show goes on.”
“At face value, at least, Formula 1 …
title: “Saudi Arabian Grand Prix To Continue As Planned After Attack At Oil Depot Near Jeddah Circuit " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-10” author: “Ingrid Wojenski”
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has said that the Saudi Grand Prix will be held after the attack on a nearby oil depot.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has said that the Saudi Grand Prix will be held after the attack on a nearby oil depot.
Saudi Arabia’s Formula 1 GP is set to go ahead with drivers’ worries in lengthy encounters following an attack on an oil depot near the Jeddah track.
The F1 grid of 20 drivers met for more than four hours after training on Friday and the conversations – which included team bosses and F1 leaders – continued until 2.30am. Local time in Saudi Arabia.
Sky Sports understands that the drivers expressed concern for the safety of the event after the rocket attack on a nearby oil facility earlier on Friday afternoon, for which the Yemeni Houthi rebel group claimed responsibility.
However, while long meetings have shown that some drivers may have wanted to boycott, the Saudi Arabia GP is set to continue as planned and the team bosses have insisted they will race this weekend.
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Sky F1’s Simon Lazenby provides information on developments following the fire at an oil depot in Jeddah, which Yemeni Houthi rebels claim was an attack by the group.
Sky F1’s Simon Lazenby provides information on developments following the fire at an oil depot in Jeddah, which Yemeni Houthi rebels claim was an attack by the group.
An oil depot – about seven miles off the track and owned by F1 sponsor Aramco – caught fire during the first training session in Saudi Arabia and a large black cloud of smoke was visible from the track.
The fire was still burning late Friday night and smoke was still pouring into the sky on Saturday morning.
Authorities in Saudi Arabia say no one was injured in the attack.
The drivers met for more than four hours on Friday afternoon after the attack
F1 and FIA presidents insist Saudi Arabia GP is safe
Before the F1 drivers continued their meetings in the Jeddah yard, the president of the sport, Stefano Domenicali, insisted that they had received unanimous support from the drivers to continue and “absolute assurance” of safety from the authorities.
The attack took place during the first training session, which continued normally, although there was a 15-minute delay in starting the second training session as the drivers and team leaders met with F1 president Domenicali and FIA Mohammed Ben Sulayem. .
There was another meeting after P2, which was also attended by a delegation from Saudi Arabia, after which the leaders of F1 and FIA appeared at 22:40 local time and insisted that the Grand Prix would continue.
The fire at the North Jeddah Bulk Plant broke out about seven miles from the Jeddah circuit.
“First we have received full assurance of the country’s security,” Domenicali said. “They have installed all the systems to protect this area. So, we feel confident that we have to trust the local authority in this regard. Of course we will proceed with the event.”
Ben Sulayem added that the attackers “did not aim at the track”.
“We had meetings with the high level of security and then we had meetings with the team leaders and the drivers,” said the FIA president. “And to assure you that they are targeting the infrastructure of the economy, not the citizens and of course not the track.
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Red Bull’s Christian Horner and Mercedes’ Toto Wolff said they had secured and unanimously decided to continue fighting after the attack on a nearby oil shop at the Saudi Arabian GP.
Red Bull’s Christian Horner and Mercedes’ Toto Wolff said they had secured and unanimously decided to continue fighting after the attack on a nearby oil shop at the Saudi Arabian GP.
“Of course, we checked the facts from them and we had the assurance from the high authorities for safety here and let’s go to races.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said: “It was a good meeting, the drivers will now speak at a driver meeting. We are the team leaders, they have assured us that we are protected here and it is probably the safest place you can be. in Saudi Arabia right now and that ‘s what we’re fighting for. [It was a unanimous decision] From the team leaders, yes “.
Red Bull director Christian Horner added: “I believe that the sport must be united collectively. Any terrorist act can not be forgiven and sport must not be intimidated in one place – such a situation is simply unacceptable. We are facing the president, there have been all the assurances from the organizers and we will go to matches “.
The drivers, whose canceled media commitments were canceled, then met to discuss the situation.
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Watch as the smoke was visible from the Jeddah track in Saudi Arabia as Craig Slater reports on the fire and condition of Sunday’s race.
Watch as the smoke was visible from the Jeddah track in Saudi Arabia as Craig Slater reports on the fire and condition of Sunday’s race.
Yemen’s Houthi rebel group claims responsibility for attack | No casualties were reported
Neither F1 nor the FIA has confirmed that the fire was caused by an attack.
However, Yemeni Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a barrage of attacks in the kingdom, according to the Associated Press, and the Saudi Motor Sports Company has also reported an attack.
“We are aware of the attack on the Aramco distribution station in Jeddah earlier this afternoon,” the statement said.
“The race organizers are in direct contact with the security authorities of Saudi Arabia, as well as the F1 and the FIA to ensure that all necessary safety and security measures continue to be implemented to ensure the safety of all visitors to the Grand Prix of Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabia. as well as all drivers, groups and stakeholders.
“The weekend program of the games will continue as planned. The safety and security of all our visitors continues to be our top priority and we look forward to welcoming fans to a weekend of racing and premium entertainment.”
Fire breaks out near Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia during Friday training
The fire focused on the same oil depot that the Houthis had attacked in recent days.
Al-Masirah, a satellite news channel run by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, claimed to have attacked Aramco facilities in Jeddah, along with other targets in Riyadh and elsewhere. The report did not provide further details.
Saudi state television acknowledged that a “hostile operation” had taken place at the Aramco facility in Jeddah, with Reuters saying there were no casualties and the fire was under control.
All driver media sessions were canceled on Friday night, although near the end of the first training session, Verstappen told the group radio: “I smell a burning sensation. I’m not sure if it ‘s my car or another car.”
Gianpiero Lambiaze’s engineer replied: “We are glad that it is not your car”.
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Max Verstappen said he could feel a “burn” in his Red Bull F1 car during his first training session at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Max Verstappen said he could feel a “burn” in his Red Bull F1 car during his first training session at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Explaining the situation in Jeddah
Analysis by Craig Slater of Sky Sports News “We learned that the explosion was caused by an attack on an Aramco oil plant that set fire to two tanks. “Reuters reports that there are no casualties. “The Houthi rebels from Yemen claimed responsibility for this, they did it immediately after the incident on a satellite news channel they run. There was an ongoing conflict in Yemen, the government forces with the help of the coalition under Saudi Arabia were essentially guerrilla warfare for the past seven years and these rocket attacks were a fairly common but rare occurrence and Jeddah had been targeted in the past, but shocking that it could happen during such a major event. “It took some time for F1 to confirm the reports that it was indeed an attack, that they wanted confirmation from the Saudi authorities. But what F1 said was that they were in close contact with the competent authorities …
