JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia\u00a0 \u2014 Formula One drivers took to the track in Saudi Arabia as scheduled Saturday after receiving \u201cdetailed assurances\u201d of their safety a day after an attack on the kingdom by Yemen\u2019s Houthi rebels.<\/p>\n
F1<\/a> confirmed racing would go ahead with the third practice and qualifying session on Saturday followed by Sunday’s race despite the attack on an oil depot located about 11 kilometers (seven miles) from the racetrack. Friday’s attack happened during the first practice, and the 20 drivers met in talks that stretched past 2<\/a> a.m. to discuss safety concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cYesterday was a difficult day for Formula One and a stressful day for us Formula One drivers,” the Grand Prix<\/a> Drivers\u2019 Association said in a statement Saturday. \u201cWe went into long discussions between ourselves, with our team principals, and with the most senior people who run our sport. A large variety of opinions were shared and debated.”<\/p>\n Ferrari<\/a> team principal Mattia Binotto said it was \u201cimportant to listen to drivers\u201d but that the decision to continue was correct.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been a long night but first let\u2019s focus on the facts. We know that it\u2019s not the first time it\u2019s happening in this country and in this area,\u201d he said. \u201cLeaving the country would simply not have been the right choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Binotto said Ferrari’s whole team agreed to stay.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one has left and no one has asked to leave,” he said.<\/p>\n The other team principals who addressed the media Saturday \u2014 Andreas Seidl (McLaren<\/a>), Guenther Steiner (Haas), Jost Capito (Williams) and Mike Krack (Aston Martin<\/a>) \u2014 also said no drivers or team members had asked to leave. But they all said they would not have been stopped if they had asked to.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t force someone to drive who\u2019s uncomfortable,\u201d Krack said.<\/p>\n In an earlier statement, F1 and governing body FIA<\/a> confirmed that \u201cfollowing discussions with all the teams and drivers,\u201d the grand prix \u201cwill continue as scheduled.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFollowing the widely reported incident that took place in Jeddah on Friday, there has been extensive discussion between all stakeholders, the Saudi government authorities and security agencies who have given full and detailed assurances that the event is secure,” the statement said.<\/p>\n F1 added that it has been agreed \u201cwith all stakeholders to maintain a clear and open dialogue throughout the event and for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n The top three drivers speak to the media after qualifying and team principals.<\/p>\n The Houthis acknowledged the attacks on Friday evening and Saudi Arabia state TV called it a \u201chostile operation.\u201d The Jiddah oil depot erupted in flames when attacked during Friday\u2019s first practice session. It caused a raging fire that rattled the drivers enough to hold extraordinary talks regarding F1’s presence in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n Many drivers expressed their concerns about racing in the region and Saudi Arabia\u2019s human rights record<\/a> when F1 ran its inaugural event at the circuit last December. Now back at the track a little over three months later, tensions are heightened amidst the attacks.<\/p>\n Conversations between drivers, team principals and F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali late into Friday night centered on safety and security conditions.<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s second practice was delayed 15 minutes because of an earlier driver meeting that included Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the newly-elected FIA president.<\/p>\n Race promoter Saudi Motorsport Company said earlier Friday that the weekend schedule had not been changed. Drivers were only leaving the track mere hours before they were due to return.<\/p>\n The attack targeted the North Jiddah Bulk Plant<\/a>, the same fuel depot the Houthis had attacked five days earlier. The plant is just southeast of the city\u2019s international airport, a crucial hub for Muslim pilgrims heading to Mecca.<\/p>\n The plant stores diesel<\/a>, gasoline and jet fuel for use in the kingdom\u2019s second-largest city. It accounts for over a quarter of all of Saudi Arabia\u2019s supplies and also supplies fuel crucial to running a regional desalination plant.<\/p>\n The Houthis have twice targeted the North Jiddah plant with cruise missiles. One attack came in November 2020. The second attack was Sunday as part of a wider barrage by the Houthis.<\/p>\n An Associated Press photojournalist covering Friday\u2019s first practice saw smoke rising in the distance to the east, just after 5:40 p.m. local time and about 20 minutes from the end of first practice. As the flames rose, the tops of the tanks of the bulk plant were clearly visible.<\/p>\n \u201cOn seeing the smoke from the incident it was difficult to remain a fully focused race driver and erase natural human concerns,\u201d the drivers’ association said.<\/p>\n Also, a Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen unleashed a barrage of airstrikes<\/a> on Yemen’s capital and a strategic Red Sea city, officials said Saturday. The overnight airstrikes on Sanaa and Hodeida \u2014 both held by the Houthis \u2014 followed the attack by rebels on the oil depot in Jiddah.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n