These photos show the size of the fireball created by a missile strike on a petrol facility which could be seen from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Friday.
The attack took place during the first Formula 1 practice session of the day, with the biggest stars of the sport all driving on track as the flames and thick smoke rose high into the city's sky. The cloud could be seen from the track, while Max Verstappen took to the radio to tell the team he could smell smoke – worried that his own car was on fire.
By the time night fell, the scale of the fire and its proximity to the race track were clear to see. Photographers who had travelled to the circuit to take snaps of F1 cars and their drivers found themselves pointing their lenses across the city to capture the roaring flames which were still lighting up the skyline.
Meanwhile, although the second practice session of the day was delayed by 15 minutes, it still went ahead with all 20 cars re-emerging to get in more important laps ahead of qualifying on Saturday and the main event itself a day later.
F1 bosses met with all 10 team principals and 20 drivers after the end of the day's action, with every team backing the decision to continue as planned this weekend despite increased security concerns. The sport's chief Stefano Domenicali, keen to pour cold water on the situation, told reporters: "We feel safe."
A statement from Formula 1 soon followed, which read: "Formula 1 has been in close contact with the relevant authorities following the situation that took place today. The authorities have confirmed that the event can continue as planned and we will remain in close contact with them and all the teams and closely monitor the situation."
Although it has been said that all 20 drivers have also backed the call to continue, there are reports that several racers are not convinced that they should be racing in Jeddah this weekend. Regardless, Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed bin Sulayem presented a united front as they faced the media.
"We’ve received all assurances that the country’s safety comes first, no matter the situation," the Italian said. "Safety has to be guaranteed, they are here with their families, so they have in place all the systems to protect this area. We have to trust the local authorities in that respect and, therefore, of course, we go ahead with the event."
Bin Sulayem added: "We had a meeting with high level security officials, we had meetings with the team principals, we had meetings with the drivers. Who are they targeting? They are targeting the oil company, not the civilian and not, of course, the event. Of course, we had assurances from a high level this is a secured place, the whole place will be secured and let’s go on racing. We're only looking forward but with the assurance that nothing is going to happen."
Houthi rebels from Yemen have claimed responsibility for a series of similar attacks on Saudi Arabia. The facility attacked is the same one which was also targeted in a similar incident just a few days ago.
This latest safety threat led to many fans on social media calling for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to be cancelled. The race is already a controversial one, due to the kingdom's record on human rights, sportswashing concerns and anti-gay laws, among other issues.
