It was a long night that lived yesterday in the Jeddah paddock, marked by a series of meetings that took place from 10pm local time until 03am, when the continuation of the weekend as scheduled was confirmed.
A decision that previously seemed far from obvious due to the differences that emerged in a long meeting that was held between the drivers, during which a group (which included Hamilton, Russell and Alonso) expressed strong doubts about the conditions of security after what happened yesterday.
The position of this group of pilots was to boycott the event, a possibility that at one point seemed very likely, but then returned just before 3am.
The reconstruction of the events begins with the first meeting which took place at 10 pm local time, a meeting that took place in the presence of Stefano Domenicali, the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the ten representatives of the teams and the twenty drivers.
Mohammed ben Sulayem, president, FIA, Stefano Domenicali, CEO, Formula 1, during the press conference
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
Domenicali and Ben Sulayem had previously met with local authorities, receiving reassurances regarding the safety of the Grand Prix as the event was not targeted by Houthi military activities, focused on other objectives of interest to them, namely the factories of the national oil company Aramco.
Local intelligence also confirmed that they have strengthened security measures in the runway area.
“We have received total guarantees on the safety of the event – said Domenicali – the local officials are here on the track with their families, and have put in place all the systems to protect the track area, the city and the places involved in the event. of the Grand Prix. We are confident and we must trust what the local authorities have guaranteed us ”.
After being reassured about the safety measures essential to ensure the smooth continuation of the race weekend, Domenicali and Ben Sulayem shared the information received with the twenty riders and team representatives.
At the end of the meeting, the unanimous support received by the FIA and Formula 1 from the teams to continue the event was announced, as confirmed by Toto Wolff and Christian Horner.
At the end of the meeting, however, the drivers did not leave the room, and the meeting continued as “Grand Prix Drivers’ Association”. In this context, some of them felt freer to express their point of view, and less conciliatory positions emerged compared to the previous meeting, to the point of requiring a new confrontation with Domenicali than Ross Brawn, who joined the group.
The media waited for the riders’ decision overnight
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
At 1:30 the team principals were also called, some of whom had already returned to the hotel. A further half hour of confrontation followed, and it was at this juncture that the drivers intent on boycotting the race softened their position. The representatives of the teams left the meeting at 2 to meet Domenicali and Ben Sulayem again in the FIA offices of the Circuit’s Contro Tower.
The pilots continued their meeting further to conclude it definitively at 02.20. Upon exiting the room where a total of 4 hours and 20 minutes remained, all the drivers headed to their respective hospitality areas, with the exception of Russell, who in his role as GPDA representative (not being Sebastian Vettel present) joined the team principals for the final confrontation with FIA and Formula 1.
Christian Horner, director of the Red Bull Racing team
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
This last meeting concluded at 02:40 local time. Formula 1 decided that an official communication would only be released during the morning today, but as the team principals left the paddock, confirmation of the decision made was leaked. “Will be racing” confirmed Christian Horner leaving the track, a few words that ended the long night in Jeddah. If there are no further unforeseen events, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be held as scheduled.
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