Saudi Grand Prix qualifying in Jeddah was halted on Saturday after Haas driver Mick Schumacher suffered a huge crash in the second phase of the session.

The US-owned Formula One team said they had heard that the son of Ferrari great and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher was conscious after the crash.

The German was taken by ambulance to the circuit medical centre after being extracted from the shattered car.

Sky Sports television estimated the car was travelling at 274kph at the time of impact into the concrete barriers at the exit to turn 10. Debris was scattered across the track.

A grand prix marshal has been removed after saying on Twitter he hoped Lewis Hamilton suffered an accident similar to Romain Grosjean’s fiery crash in Bahrain in 2020.

Earlier in the day drivers said they would race after long talks and reassurances from Saudi government ministers that security was being ramped up to the maximum in the wake of attacks on an oil facility near the Jeddah street circuit on Friday.

Drivers met for more than four hours at the circuit at a gathering that stretched into early Saturday morning after Formula One and local organisers had already said the race would go ahead as planned, casting doubt on whether they would actually race.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Friday said they launched attacks on Saudi energy facilities.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting them said state-owned oil giant Aramco’s petroleum products distribution station was hit, causing a fire in two tanks but no casualties.

A huge plume of black smoke rose over Jeddah to the east of the track as cars went around the street circuit during Friday’s first practice.