Saudi Arabia talks with F1 over security concerns

It was an image that sent shivers down my spine. On Friday March 25, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck an oil storage facility about 15 km east of Jeddah's Corniche circuit, the scene of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Flames and smoke were visible as cars drove on the track near the Red Sea during testing. Drivers and team directors then met for more than four hours to decide whether they would continue the weekend.

Several months after this event, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Minister of Sports, declared that he had met the actors of the Formula 1 to address their security concerns. While the event had taken place after receiving assurances from the Saudi authorities, it was recognized by all that further discussions were necessary after the ordeal. “Most of the concerns were about security, confided the Saudi Minister of Sports Reuters. We met personally with all the team principals and I met personally with all the drivers. We talked about all these issues and we have an open dialogue with them now. »

Saudi Arabia Sports Minister says security will be ensured in Jeddah

Prince Al-Faisal argued that Formula 1's international reputation meant safety concerns were a new reality for the sport, regardless of where it took place. He notably cited the case of Silverstone this year, where “Just Stop Oil” demonstrators invaded the track, or the mass shootings in the United States. “If you look at the world today, there is chaos everywhere and we have to fight against it. There's not really a safe place for you to go, whether it's mass shootings or wars or other things that are happening. »

Yemen's Saudi-backed coalition and the Houthis reached a UN-brokered truce in April, but the deal expired last Sunday. Asked whether the resumption of hostilities in the more than seven-year-old conflict would require increased security for next year's race, Prince Al-Faisal said the track would be secure. “This was not the first time this happened in Saudi Arabia, he said about the attacks. This happened this weekend, but we used to have these almost every month. We secure the most important areas that are populated…so the city is secure, the place is secure. »

As a reminder, Saudi Arabia, whose public oil giant Aramco is very present in Formula 1, has concluded a 15-year agreement to organize a Grand Prix.

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