Saudi Arabia is on a list of countries that are not among the safest. Following the cancellation of the Sochi Grand Prix in Russia, there were voices calling for the closure of the races in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China, all because of human rights violations. But now there was little missing and no race due to the threat of terrorism.
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We remind you that the participants of the January Dakar Rally may already have had similar concerns when an accompanying car from one of the teams exploded, where a French driver was seriously injured. Here, too, there was a lot of talk about whether to interrupt the race for safety reasons, because one of the competitors was directly endangered. The missile attack on Aramco’s oil tanks was an incident that had only one thing in common with Formula One, which took place during Friday’s training and relatively close to the track.
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#Breaking | A few minutes ago, the Houthis attacked Jeddah and hit Aramco’s petroleum facilities in Jeddah, west Saudi Arabia, a loud explosion was heard and a fire broke out. pic.twitter.com/IW0nivmxVt
– WorldNews IL (@WorldNewsIL) March 25, 2022
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“I feel something is burning, I don’t know if it’s mine or another car,” said Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, during his first practice session. “Be cool, it’s not our car,” was the reply. A few minutes later after training, it was clear that it was not from any other car. The second practice started with a fifteen minute delay.
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“The target of the attackers was not civilians or races. They are trying to target infrastructure, cause economic hardship, “said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulay. Smoke and fire were visible from the circuit. Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali called a crisis meeting of the FIA, team representatives and individual drivers between training sessions, which said: “We trust the local authorities, which have assured us that they will protect the whole area. The second training will take place, the next meeting will take place in the evening. “
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According to the BBC, there were voices from the riders right after the first practice that the race in Jeddah should not be run for safety reasons. However, the specific names were not published. At the evening team meeting with the F1 management, it was decided that the race would take place, but then the drivers met again and the meeting was held until half past two in the morning. It is said that such a consensus no longer prevailed here. In the end, however, it continues according to the time schedule.
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“We are aware of the attack on the Genie oil facility and remain in direct contact with the Saudi security authorities, as well as the F1 and FIA, to ensure all necessary security measures. We must ensure the safety of all Saudi Grand Prix visitors, as well as all riders and teams. The program of the race weekend will continue according to plan, safety is still our main priority, “says the organizers.
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If you are worried that he will not race tomorrow, remember the Dakar Rally once again. There was a direct terrorist attack on the car of one of the participating teams, serious injury to the driver and the french government called for the cancellation of the plant. Dakar participants move on normal roads at full speed and the racers drive in the desert, while Formula 1 is a carousel in a tightly guarded area. Although it is clear that there is no protection against missile attack. Let’s hope that only the competitors will fight on Sunday night.
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However, Friday’s attack in Jeddah came less than a week after the Hutis attacked a number of targets in Saudi Arabia. The Coalition for Legitimacy in Yemen has issued a statement confirming its responsibility for a rocket that caused a fire last Saturday at the Aramco distribution center in Jeddah and launched further rocket and drone attacks on various targets in the country. So the big question is whether there should be any competition in countries plagued by terrorism…
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Should I race in Saudi Arabia on Sunday?
A total of 356 readers voted.
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