This was the result of long discussions among the pilots, with the team bosses and the leaders of the racing series, the drivers’ union (GPDA) announced on Saturday. In the final training before qualifying, Ferrari man and opening winner Charles Leclerc set the best time ahead of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.
“Yesterday was a difficult day for Formula 1 and a grueling day for us Formula 1 drivers,” the statement said. During the opening practice session in Jeddah, the Yemeni Houthi rebels attacked an oil facility owned by Formula 1’s main sponsor Aramco a few kilometers from the track. “It was difficult to remain a fully focused racer and turn off all natural human concerns after seeing the smoke from the incident,” the GPDA wrote.
The pilots discussed the consequences for more than four hours on Saturday night. The meeting ended at 2:30 a.m. local time. A “wide range of opinions” was discussed, it said. Since the Saudi government representatives had promised maximum security measures, the drivers want to compete in the race on Sunday (7 p.m. / live ServusTV, Sky). “We therefore hope that the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be remembered for a good race and not because of the incident.” The tone of the statement leaves open whether all drivers really fully support the decision.
In the third free practice session, Leclerc was 0.033 seconds faster than Verstappen – a tough fight for pole position was announced. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez stayed 0.098 behind the Monegasque on Saturday, with Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari finishing fourth. The best Mercedes driver was Lewis Hamilton, who finished 11th.
For Formula 1, however, the events once again raise the question of choosing their partners. Just a few weeks ago, the racing series canceled its contracts for races in Russia because of the war in Ukraine. Other Grand Prix hosts such as Bahrain, Azerbaijan, China and Qatar have also been criticized for their human rights violations for years.
In their statement, the FIA and Formula 1 indicated that the events of Jeddah would still have to be discussed: “It has been agreed with all those involved that a clear and open dialogue will continue during the event and in the future.” The racing series is said to be taking signing fees totaling $900 million for the ten-year contract with Saudi Arabia.
Source: Nachrichten
