First statements on the drone attack on an Aramco facility near the circuit in Saudi Arabia – organisers rule out cancellation of the Grand Prix
Despite a missile attack in the immediate vicinity of the track in Jeddah, Formula 1 has decided to go ahead with the race weekend as normal. This was agreed by Formula One, the teams and the drivers at a special meeting this evening.
“We have received full reassurance that safety comes first for the country, whatever the situation,” Formula One boss Stefano Domenicali said in a statement. “They are here with their families, right at the circuit, and they have all systems in place to protect this area, the city and the places we go.”
“So we are confident and we have to trust the local authorities in this regard. So of course we will go ahead with the event,” the Italian said.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem also stresses the safety of all those involved on the ground. “Who are they targeting? They are targeting the infrastructure, not the civilians and not the track,” he is not worried. “We are just looking ahead, but with the certainty that nothing will happen.”
There was even unanimity between the team bosses about the continuation, stresses Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff. “It was a good meeting. The drivers are now talking in the drivers’ meeting and we team bosses have been assured that we are protected here,” he says on ‘Sky’. “This is probably the safest place to be in Saudi Arabia at the moment. That’s why we’re going to drive.”
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner also sees “all the guarantees from the organisers” and therefore echoes the sentiment. “The sport has to stand together. Any active terror cannot be tolerated,” he stresses.
After the end of the first free practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2022, the sporting events on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah initially took a back seat. Only a few kilometres away from the circuit, an attack was reportedly carried out on a plant belonging to the oil company Aramco.
The start of the second free practice session at 20:00 local time (18:00 German time) was initially postponed by 15 minutes. Shortly before, Formula 1 had convened a meeting with all team bosses and drivers. It was discussed that the Friday practice session would be run first and then another meeting would be held.
“We were assured by the government that it was safe to race here. After practice we will have another meeting,” Haas team boss Günther Steiner told ‘ServusTV’ and emphasised: “I personally feel absolutely safe. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”
Helmut Marko also believes “that it is the right thing” not to cancel the Grand Prix. The teams had been informed “that a drone had been sent from Yemen. The Saudis have a defence system and for some reason the drone was not intercepted.”
“I think the date is deliberately chosen. The rebels know they will have much higher publicity at the Grand Prix. That’s part of this concept,” Marko says. “There are these drone attacks, I think, frequently. The only thing is: they have a very good defence system. Why that didn’t work, you have to find out now.”
“It’s not the first drone, after all. But it is the first to strike on a massive scale. You can’t let terror completely intimidate normal life. We should look now, and then if security is guaranteed for the next two days, then we should go,” the Red Bull motorsport consultant thinks.
The organisers in Saudi Arabia will not cancel the race at this stage: they are in direct contact with the authorities, says the Saudi Motorsport Company, and are doing everything possible to guarantee security.
But: “The schedule of the race weekend will continue as planned. The safety of all our guests remains our top priority and we look forward to welcoming fans for a weekend of premium racing and entertainment.”
Mobile phone videos initially circulated on Twitter showing a factory ablaze. To this, colleagues on the ground at the circuit reported that a gigantic cloud of smoke could be seen in the distance, which was not shown by the international TV control room. Apparently, the fire was close to the airport, which is about ten kilometres away from the race track.
Meanwhile, according to agency reports, the Huthi rebels have confirmed that they have initiated a series of attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia. Saudi state television, meanwhile, confirms attacks against targets in the city of Dhahran, including a water reservoir and residential buildings, and near the Yemeni border.
And this is not the first time. Last week, the race in Saudi Arabia was already on the verge of cancellation when the same Aramco facility was attacked with a missile and drones on Sunday. Saudi Arabian state television reported at the time that another projectile was intercepted by air defences.
An attack on an Aramco facility is extremely worrying news from the point of view of members of the Formula One circus on the ground in Jeddah. Aramco is a Saudi Arabian state-owned corporation that not only sponsors the Aston Martin Formula One team, but is also one of Formula One’s major series sponsors.
Even before the incident on Friday, the ‘dpa’ had quoted a Saudi Arabian government spokesman as saying that “the safety of our guests has top priority”. The organisers also expressed their concern for calm: “This incident has no impact on the race weekend.”
Independently of the events on Friday, Amnesty International had called for a boycott of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in the run-up to the event. The statement said, among other things: “Despite promises of reform, the situation around human rights abuses continues to deteriorate.”
“Understandably, the world’s attention is focused on Ukraine right now. But the sporting world must not limit its awareness to just one conflict. Saudi Arabia must not be given a free pass for its continued bombings of civilians in Yemen,” the human rights organisation said.
