F1 bosses confirm the Saudi Arabia GP will be held just six miles from the track despite a terrorist missile attack

FORMULA ONE bosses have given the green light to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, despite a missile attack just SIX miles from the circuit.

An Aramco fuel depot was hit by a missile and burst into flames, sending thick black smoke into the sky in the middle of practice here in Jeddah.

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Flights from the airport, which is located next to the site, were immediately suspended while incoming planes were diverted.

Last night, team bosses were locked in talks about the safety risk, but the message from organizers was clear – the race is going ahead as planned.

A statement from Saudi Motorsport Company, which is promoting the event, said: “We are aware of the attack on the Aramco distribution station in Jeddah this afternoon.

“Race control remains in direct contact with the Saudi security authorities F1 and the FIA ​​to ensure that all necessary safety and security measures continue to be implemented to ensure the safety of all visitors to Formula One stc Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as well as all drivers, teams and stakeholders.

“The schedule for the race weekend will continue as planned.

“The safety of all our guests remains our top priority and we look forward to welcoming fans to a weekend of world-class racing and entertainment.”

The rebel attack happened around 5:15 p.m. with the black clouds seen in the distance Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed to smell the smoke and mistakenly thought his engine was on fire.

Amid rising tensions here in the Gulf, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem organized an emergency meeting with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and circuit promoter Martin Whitaker to discuss the growing situation ahead of second practice.

The race stewards issued a memo to the teams saying somewhat worryingly “in the interests of safety” that practice would be delayed by 15 minutes.

It came as a spokesman claiming to represent Yemeni forces claimed responsibility for the attack, along with other incidents in Saudi Arabia.

He claimed on Twitter the attacks were “carried out using batches of ballistic and winged missiles and unmanned air force.

“Targeting Aramco facilities in Jeddah and vital facilities in the Saudi enemy’s capital, Riyadh, with a series of winged missiles targeting the Ras Tanura refinery and the Rabigh oil refinery with a large number of drones.”

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In a worrying development, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a Twitter post earlier Friday that he would be announcing details of a full-scale operation “deep” in Saudi Arabia.

SunSport reported Monday that Iran-backed Houthis rebels carried out a similar attack in Jeddah last weekend along with other strategic targets in the wake of Yemen’s ongoing civil war.

However, race organizers responded to SunSport’s query with a statement: “This incident has no impact on the race weekend.

“As always, the safety of our guests remains our top priority.

“We are in constant contact with the relevant authorities and all necessary measures have been taken to ensure the safety of all visitors to the Formula 1 stc Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as well as involved personnel, personnel and media.”