F1 team bosses have unanimously defended the decision to continue racing in Saudi Arabia despite the missile attack near the Jeddah circuit.
Yesterday the Grand Prix was thrown into doubt following the attack on a nearby oil facility. The incident happened during the opening practice session with smoke visible in the sky as a result. The second practice session, though delayed, later took place before extensive talks between organisers, drivers and other stakeholders were held over whether the Grand Prix should continue.
It was eventually announced after lengthy discussions that the race would go ahead as planned. However, BBC Sport later reported that drivers and teams were ‘handed a warning’ about the consequences of the race not proceeding.
The decision to continue racing in Saudi Arabia has been met with mixed reaction, with former driver turned commentator Ralf Schumacher one person who said F1 should “pack up and leave”. But Formula 1’s team principals have unanimously defended the decision while being quizzed on the meetings that took place late into the night.
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl told Sky Sports : “Obviously what we have seen yesterday afternoon was very alarming for everyone, not just for the drivers, but also for us in the team - for every single member of the team that is here at the track.
“Therefore it is simply important to take our time as well and if you look at the length of the discussions the drivers had, we encourage them to do so. In the end they are the heroes of their sport - they should have a strong voice and they have a strong voice.”
He added: “There were different stages of the discussion as well, with different stakeholders involved, but the most important thing is that in the end we all had the same level of information, which was ensuring us that it’s safe to continue here and we all came to the same conclusion - that we continue.”
Among some of the criticisms surrounding the decision to keep racing in Saudi Arabia, some have suggested that money was a deciding factor. However, this was denied when put to Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto.
He said: “I don’t think it’s about the cash and the money. Ours is a global sport, no doubt, it’s a big business and there’s interest in it but I think there is as well the other side, which is it is still a sport.
“Sport has always tried to get a positive message around the world. F1 is a global business, it’s very powerful, there are messages and even yesterday we were discussing with the local authorities. We’re fully aware of the importance of having a great weekend here and trying to, themselves, show a great country. By coming here certainly we are giving them that task and that duty to improve.”
