F1 Saudi GP in crisis after terror attack causes explosion and blazing inferno in Jeddah

dailystar.co.uk:

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has been plunged into chaos following a massive explosion near the track in the city of Jeddah.As drivers were finishing their practice runs, a loud boom was heard before a huge inferno broke out at the nearby Aramco petroleum facility - a state-run oil company - sparking fears of a terrorist attack.The cause of the blaze isn't known but reports say that Houthi rebels - a Yemeni Islamist group - have claimed responsibility for a number of similar attacks across the kingdom in recent weeks.Footage of the explosion has begun circulating all over social media while flames and black smoke have continued to billow out of the building, which is just a few miles from the circuit.It's understood that defending world champion Max Verstappen had asked his team if his car was on fire, as he could smell burning towards the end of his practice run, before Red Bull confirmed that it wasn't coming from his car.Calls for this weekend's Grand Prix to be cancelled have intensified with fans flooding to social media asking for organisers to do the right thing.

All flights into Jeddah have either now been grounded or are being held in a flight path around the city, with the fate of Sunday's race now hanging in the balance.Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc set the early pace ahead of of Sunday's Grand Prix in the weekend's first practice session, finishing just ahead of Verstappen, who will be desperate to recover from his retirement in Bahrain earlier this month.The Dutchman's title defence got off to the worst possible start with he and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez both suffering engine failures in the final stages of the race - with title rival Lewis Hamilton finishing third, though the Brit is currently down in.