Jeddah (dpa) – The huge cloud of smoke from the rocket attack was still hanging in the sky near the Formula 1 track in Jeddah the day after.
But after heated discussions, probably also about a boycott of the drivers, the Grand Prix organizers of Saudi Arabia saved their race early on Saturday morning. The worried pilots were persuaded, the world association Fia and the Formula 1 bosses announced: Everything is going as planned.
Comprehensive security guarantees from the Saudi government are the reason for the decision, the Fia and the racing series announced on Saturday. Shortly thereafter, the pilots’ union also communicated its willingness to participate in the second race of the season on Sunday (7 p.m. / Sky). By 2:30 a.m. local time, all parties had reached an agreement on Saturday morning.
A “wide range of opinions” were discussed
The shock of a rocket hitting an oil facility of Formula 1 main sponsor Aramco just a few kilometers away is felt deep in the paddock. Houthi rebels attacked several targets in Saudi Arabia on Friday. The background is the war in Yemen, which the kingdom is waging against the Houthis and which has triggered one of the worst current humanitarian catastrophes.
“Yesterday was a difficult day for Formula 1 and a grueling day for us Formula 1 drivers,” said the GPDA driver representative. “It was difficult to remain a fully focused racer and turn off all natural human concerns after seeing the smoke from the incident,” it said.
After the two Friday training sessions, the drivers discussed for more than four hours how to proceed. Sometimes Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali, sports director Ross Brawn and some team bosses were also there. A “wide range of opinions” was discussed, it said.
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According to reports, the officials also explained to the pilots the possible consequences of an early departure. The racing series is said to be taking signing fees totaling $900 million for the ten-year contract with Saudi Arabia. The promise of a maximum increase in security measures ultimately led to a solution, the GPDA said. The tone of the statement leaves open whether all drivers really fully support the decision.
“Let’s race”
Ex-racing driver Ralf Schumacher at least decided differently and started the journey home. Sky expert and commentator Sascha Roos made his way back to Munich on Saturday morning. The broadcaster had given all employees the choice of staying in Jeddah.
The new world association boss Mohammed Ben Sulayem had previously asserted that Formula 1 was not the target of the attacks. “They’re targeting the infrastructure, not the civilians and of course not the track,” said the 60-year-old from Dubai. This has been checked. “Let’s race,” said Ben Sulayem.
The US government and the State Department condemned the attacks by the Houthi rebels. “These renewed attacks violate international humanitarian law and undermine regional stability by provoking further escalation. Attacks on civilian targets cannot be justified by anything,” said the Federal Foreign Office.
For Formula 1, however, the events once again raise the question of choosing their partners. Just a few weeks ago, the racing series canceled its contracts for races in Russia because of the war in Ukraine. Other Grand Prix hosts such as Bahrain, Azerbaijan, China and Qatar have also been criticized for their human rights violations for years.
In their announcement, Fia and Formula 1 indicated that the events of Jeddah will still be discussed: “It has been agreed with all those involved to continue a clear and open dialogue during the event and in the future.”