Norris - Jeddah “a nervous place to be" after terrorist attack

Lando Norris has revealed Jeddah was "a nervous place to be" over the weekend after a terrorist attack threatened the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Friday practice was overshadowed by a Yemeni Houthi-claimed missile attack on a nearby Aramco oil facility leaving a plume of black smoke visible on the world feed of the F1 practice sessions.

An initial meeting between drivers and team principals ensured second practice would go ahead despite concerns.

A second meeting was called for after FP2 and whilst team principals were "unanimous" in agreeing to race on, drivers convened for a further four-and-a-half hours until being assured of their safety by Saudi authorities.

Asked if he was relieved no further incident marred the weekend, Norris replied: “Of course I’m relieved, we love racing. In any circumstance all we want to do is race and that’s what we love, that’s why we do the jobs we do.

“I guess it’s a nervous place to be and as drivers you wouldn’t have these nerves and that’s why we had the chats we did.

"We were given the reassurance from everyone, Saudi and everyone that it was safe. From our side we had to believe it.

Norris wouldn't be drawn on whether F1 should return to Saudi Arabia for future seasons but insisted the Jeddah Corniche Circuit was a track he enjoyed racing at.

The McLaren driver added: "I’m happy and whether we come back here or not, I would love to look forward to it as it’s a fun track but that is a discussion we’ll have after the weekend.

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