Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: F1 drivers agree to race despite security concerns after missile attack

Formula 1 drivers say they agreed to race in Saudi Arabia this weekend despite security concerns following a missile attack near the Jeddah track.

The race will go ahead on Sunday following four hours of meetings between drivers and senior figures. The decision was made at 02:30 local time.

A statement from the Grand Prix Drivers' Association said it had been «difficult to erase natural concerns».

They were reassured by F1 bosses and Saudi government ministers, it said.

The drivers' decision to race came at the end of an extraordinary day in Jeddah following a missile attack on an oil facility nine miles from the track.

Drivers started a discussion over whether to race an hour after second practice had finished and remained in the room while various senior figures came and went.

The GPDA statement on Saturday said it had been «a difficult day for Formula 1 and a stressful day for us F1 drivers».

It added: «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.

«A large variety of opinions were shared and debated and, having listened not only to the F1 powers 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 practise 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."

An F1 statement said: «Following the widely reported incident that took place in Jeddah on Friday, there has been