F1 drivers locked in discussions over the Saudi Arabian GP

A meeting between Formula 1 drivers at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit has spilled over from Friday night into Saturday morning, with uncertainty growing around the race weekend. On Friday, an attack on a nearby Aramco fuel facility - shortly before the first practice session began - caused a large fire, which led to acrid smoke permeating through the paddock and across the circuit. F1 and FIA chiefs, along with teams and drivers, held meetings either side of FP2, and the decision was taken to proceed with the event after the sport received "total assurance" about security in the area. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff described the second round of talks as "a good meeting", but also confirmed that the drivers would be gathering again.

F1 drivers locked in talks in the Jeddah paddock

With F1 and the FIA confirming their decision to proceed at around 22:45 local time (19:45 GMT), the drivers assembled shortly afterwards to continue the conversation. While the teams gave their unanimous support for the decision, the lengthy discussions amongst the drivers suggests that there is some reluctance on their part to continue. At the time of publication (01:50 local time), the drivers - some of whom are still in their overalls from practice - remain locked in talks. At around 01:15 local time, Wolff and Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner joined the drivers' meeting, with F1 chiefs Stefano Domenicali and Ross Brawn also making appearances.