Calls to cancel Saudi Arabia GP intensifies after terror attack near Jeddah circuit

A massive explosion near the Jeddah Corniche Circuit has plunged this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix into utter chaos. As Formula 1 drivers finished their practice runs, a loud boom was heard before a huge inferno broke out at the nearby Aramco petroleum facility, sparking fears of a terrorist attack.

Following this incident, Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the missile attack during the F1 practice session on Friday. The Yemeni Islamist group had earlier claimed responsibility for a number of similar attacks across Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

Video of the explosion went viral across social media platforms while flames and a thick cloud of black smoke continued to grow out of the building, which is just a few miles away from the Jeddah circuit.

The practice was delayed by 15 minutes after drivers were called into a meeting with Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali regarding the terror attack. The attack has occurred just 12 miles away from the race track.

Reports suggested that defending champion Max Verstappen had asked his team if his car was on fire, as he could smell something burning towards the fag end of his practice. The Red Bull team confirmed to their driver that the smell was not coming from his car.

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Calls for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to be cancelled intensified, following this shocking incident, with fans taking to Twitter to ask its organisers to cancel Sunday's race, which now hangs in the balance.

Meanwhile, all flights into Jeddah have reportedly been either grounded or are being held in a flight path around the city. In a statement, Formula One said, "We are awaiting further information from the authorities on what has happened."

Here's a look at some of the reactions that flooded micro-blogging site Twitter after this shocking incident:

During the first practice session on Friday, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc set the early pace, finishing just ahead of Verstappen, who will look to recover from his retirement in Bahrain last week. The Dutchman's title defence got off to a horrible start after he and his teammate Sergio Perez both suffered engine failures in the final stages of the Bahrain GP.

Earlier today, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said he is not comfortable racing in Saudi Arabia, days after being sent a letter by the family of a young prisoner set to be executed.

The family of Abdullah al-Howaiti, arrested in 2017, aged 14 and sentenced to death aged 17, have urged the Brit to speak out ahead of the country's second F1 race, taking place this Sunday.

The letter references the torture and abuse al-Howaiti has suffered at the hands of authorities, according to the Guardian.

"I don't really know what to say. My position is still the same as when I spoke here last year," Hamilton said when asked his feelings on the race.

"There's not really a lot that I can say that's going to make much of a difference. It's obviously mind-blowing to hear the stories... I've heard that there's a letter sent to me from a 14-year-old that's on death row... When you are 14 you don't know what the hell you are doing in life, so it's..." Hamilton added.

"But we don't decide where we go. I think we are duty-bound to try while we are here [to raise awareness], it's not necessarily our responsibility when we are brought here, but we try and do what we can," the Brit stated.

"I think it's important that we just try to educate ourselves and with the little bit of difference that we can make, make sure that we are doing something. But ultimately, it's the responsibility of those in power to make the changes. And we're not really seeing enough, so we need to see more," the seven-time world champions concluded.