FUMES from today’s terror attack in Saudi Arabia could be seen from Carlos Sainz’s dashcam as the Spaniard went round for practice today.
Drivers took to the track in Jeddah for FP1 ahead of qualifying tomorrow for Sunday’s Saudi Grand Prix, which is now in doubt.
Smoke could be seen in the background as cars went round the Jeddah track
And in a grab taken by an observant fan on Twitter, plumes of smoke could be seen rising in the distance from Carlos Sainz’s dashcam as he went round.
The attack occurred 12 miles away, with videos circulating online showing an Aramco facility engulfed in flames.
F1 chiefs have confirmed that they are monitoring the situation, with Sunday’s race potentially being axed amid safety fears.
World champion Max Verstappen could smell the fumes, even asking his team if his car was on fire.
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The Red Bull star said: “I can smell burning.. is it my car?”
Reports claim that the explosion was caused by a rebel attack.
Arab News have claimed Saudi Arabia’s air defence destroyed seven drones and a missile launched by Houthi militia.
A statement from the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen read: “The hostile attempts by the Houthi militia deliberately target civilian areas, energy installations.
“The continued attacks by the Houthis threaten both regional and international security.
“We support the Gulf and international community in achieving successful negotiations with Yemen.”
Today’s incident follows a further attack last Sunday, when rebels targeted a petroleum depot.
All flights into Jeddah are being grounded or held in a flight path around the city.
FP1 was completed despite the obvious concerns over today’s attack, with last week’s Bahrain GP winner Charles Leclerc round quickest.
His Ferrari team-mate Sainz was fourth fastest, with Verstappen second and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas third.
British superstar Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, was ninth-quickest around the circuit – having tasted victory in Jeddah back in December.
