An oil refinery owned by Saudi Aramco, the main sponsor of the F1 Saudi Arabian GP, was the target of an attack on Friday (25). The rocket and drone attack caused a fire at the facility, which is about 10km from the Jeddah circuit, the venue for this weekend’s race.
During the first free practice session of F1, it was possible to see a cloud of smoke spreading in the sky of the city. According to Reuters, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, allied with Iran, claimed responsibility for the attacks. According to the Saudi-led coalition, there were no casualties.
Before the start of Friday’s second practice session, F1 has summoned all team bosses and drivers for a meeting. The encounter delayed the activity by 15 minutes, but the battery was maintained.
A new meeting will have to take place after the activity to evaluate the safety for the maintenance of the race. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said that despite the attack, the race is on.
This Sunday’s stage (27), is scheduled for 2 pm (Brasilia time). It will be the second race of the World.
There was no immediate comment from Aramco or the Ministry of Energy. Saudi state media had previously reported that a series of drone and rocket attacks by the Houthis had been thwarted by the coalition.
Saudi air defenses also intercepted and destroyed a ballistic rocket launched towards the port city of Jazan, which caused a fire at an electricity distribution plant.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, said earlier this week that it would not be responsible for any disruptions in oil supplies to global markets as a result of the Houthi attacks that have intensified over the past three weeks.
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