“It was difficult to remain a fully focused”– Why F1 drivers agreed to race in Jeddah despite missile attack only few miles away from circuit on Friday

F1 drivers have agreed to race in Jeddah despite the missile attack only a few miles away from the race circuit which followed a four-hour meeting.

On Friday, horror-struck F1, when during the final minutes of the Free Practice 1. A missile hit happened in Jeddah, only a few miles away from the circuit.

The epicentre of the striker was an Aramco oil site. Yet, the thick black smoke was visible from the Jeddah Corniche circuit. The Houthi rebels took responsibility for the attack.

The missile attacks were still observed in Jeddah even after the FP2. Thus, it prompted F1 drivers to have a meeting. It went on for around four hours. Later, it was reported that the drivers were not willing to go ahead due to security concerns.

However, a press release by The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GDPA)- a union of F1 drivers, declared that they have agreed to go ahead with the weekend’s plan.

“Yesterday was a difficult day for Formula 1 and a stressful day for us Formula 1 drivers,” said the GPDA statement. “Perhaps it is hard to comprehend if you have never driven an F1 car on this fast and challenging Jeddah track.”

“But on seeing the smoke from the incident. It was difficult to remain a fully focused race driver and erase natural human concerns.  Consequently, we went into long discussions between ourselves, with our team principals, and with the most senior people who run our sport.”

Also read: Former Champion Damon Hill slams F1’s decision to go ahead with the Saudi Arabian GP

F1 drivers assured about their safety

The statement further details that the drivers have been assured by F1, FIA and Saudi officials about their safety. So, in the end, the race will go on Sunday.

“A large variety of opinions were shared and debated and, having listened not only to the Formula 1 power but also to the Saudi government ministers who explained how security measures were being elevated to the maximum.”

“The outcome was a resolution that we would practice and qualify today and race tomorrow. We, therefore, hope that the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be remembered as a good race rather than for the incident that took place yesterday.”

Drivers threatened for boycotting race?

A report by BBC on Saturday created unrest among F1 fans when it suggested drivers are forced to remain back. The source claims that the drivers could face difficulty in leaving Saudi Arabia if they don’t race.

F1 fans are certainly not happy with how F1 and FIA are treating the situation. Many are even calling out the hypocrisy of F1. As they cancelled the race in Russia because of war but not in Saudi Arabia.

Also read: Sebastian Vettel admits he is not the most popular driver in the eyes of F1 bosses