Under the bright lights of Yas Marina Circuit, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were neck and neck. Toe to toe. Wheel to wheel. In the most exhilarating and controversial Formula 1 season finale ever seen, Verstappen ultimately edged out Hamilton in the battle of the gearbox gladiators, claiming his first ever F1 Drivers’ Championship.
Abu Dhabi, not for the first time, felt like the centre of the motorsport universe.
But it was not alone in shaping the outcome of the championship. In the weeks leading up to that nail-biting decider, Hamilton won races in Qatar and Saudi Arabia to keep the title race alive as both Gulf nations hosted their maiden Grands Prix.
In 2022, the season starts in Bahrain and ends in Abu Dhabi again; the Middle East now bookends motorsport’s pre-eminent competition, its influence infrangible.
It is apt that Bahrain now hosts F1’s curtain raiser as the Kingdom was the region’s original F1 pioneer. Many baulked when the Grand Prix first arrived on the F1 calendar eighteen years ago but it has been a near ever-present since that 2004 debut, starting a shifting of the sands of Middle East motorsport.
Hamad Al Fardan was 17 years old at the time of the inaugural race in Bahrain, his fledgling professional racing career just beginning. While the Bahraini didn’t quite make it to Formula One, he competed for five years, running future F1 drivers like Sergio Perez close in various single-seater championships.
Al Fardan may have never sat on an F1 grid as a driver, but he now stands on them regularly with a microphone in hand as one of the faces of MBC’s motorsport coverage across MENA. He also produces hip hop music – a slightly more unusual path for a former racing driver.
Sitting in his music studio in a red Kappa t-shirt, Al Fardan is reflecting wistfully on his days as a driver. The Bahraini’s chiselled beard matches a chiselled physique emblematic of the sort of dedication that is a hallmark of all successful drivers.
“I’d say commitment is your most important characteristic when you are racing,” Al Fardan tells Esquire Middle East. “It is definitely something that I’ve taken into my life since – hard work and drive are key to success whatever your industry.”
Few would have picked the softly spoken Bahraini to enter the world of music and TV presenting during his racing career – as a driver he was an introvert who was fully focused on his craft.
“People are really surprised that this was my direction because I was really not a talkative guy. I didn’t have a social life because I was always travelling or on the circuit. I’m now surrounded by people in my work, which I love as being a professional driver can be a lonely existence – you just eat, sleep, train and race. There is a lot of pressure and it’s hard to unwind.”
For Al Fardan, the demands often felt greater as he shouldered the weight of Bahraini expectations at a time when motorsport was first garnering media attention in the Kingdom.
“Eyes were on me to achieve as I was the closest one to making it to F1,” he recalls. “But I loved it and each step felt so exciting. When you go from karting to Formula BMW, it is like you are driving a spaceship and that feeling continues with each step. The cars get faster and faster and the experience is more and more exhilarating.”
Many drivers in the Middle East highlight desert rally as their first introduction to motorsport and Al Fardan didn’t have to look far for such inspiration. His father Ahmed competed regionally and was an instant role model.
“It was very cool back in school to be able to say, ‘my dad is a rally driver’. Most people were interested in football so this felt unique. I saw my dad as a superhero that did stuff that normal people don’t do. That’s why I fell in love with motorsport.”
Ahmed was by Hamad’s side throughout his career and they shared highs and lows, the most painful of which was Al Fardan Jr’s decision to stop racing in 2009.
He had reached GP2, Formula One’s main feeder series (rebranded as Formula 2 in 2017) whose glittering alumni include world champions Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. A third-placed finish in GP2 Asia raised hopes that the F1 dream was within touching distance.
But as for so many drivers, access to funding became a heart-breaking obstacle that could not be overcome. Al Fardan raced one final season in Formula V6 Asia for Hong Kong-based Dyna Ten Motorsport, winning the championship before hanging up his helmet as sponsors withdrew in the wake of the global financial crisis
“The timing was terrible, but my story is a normal one. Money is the main barrier to making it in motorsport. If you don’t have sponsors, it can quickly fall apart. It’s a real shame because I’ve raced people from all over the world and I saw some guys that can smoke. They are so good.
“I know that if they were given the same chances as those who are in F1, they would be there. But they lack funds. Talent is not enough in this sport; you need money too.”
Al Fardan is philosophical about the end of his career and insists he has no regrets.
“It wasn’t meant for me and I can accept that. When I stopped motorsport I realised there was a lot of opportunities to live my life and it means I haven’t regret letting go. I saw another life. I’m happy I’ve experienced both.”
Building the Bahrain International Circuit at Sakhir to bring F1 to the Kingdom was a huge investment in motorsport but Al Fardan feels more development is essential if the red-and-white Bahraini flag is to ever be seen above a Formula One podium.
“Who would have thought that we would have four Formula 1 races in this small region? It’s crazy and of course this is a huge step for the region in motorsport.
“I think that we have talent in Bahrain but there are no clear pathways. We need to invest in drivers and in championships to increase participation. Give drivers more opportunities to shine.
“If we want to have a true, competitive Bahraini driver in Formula 1, I think we are still 10-15 years away from that.”
While Al Fardan now represents the past in terms of Middle East motorsport, former Emirati rally driver Mohammed Ben Sulayem is very much its present. The 60-year-old is the charismatic new chief of motorsport’s global governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). The organisation, founded in 1904, is 67 years older than the United Arab Emirates. Ben Sulayem was officially anointed in December and in an industry in which legacy and tradition have long been central tenets, the Emirati has shaken up the status quo.
“I am very proud to be the first non-European to lead the FIA,” Ben Sulayem tells Esquire Middle East. “Rallying and motor sport are my passion and a big part of my life, and it is great news that the Middle East is hosting more and more races.
“I made my first trip as FIA President to the start of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia and I am looking forward to attending the opening of the Formula 1 season in Bahrain.”
Ben Sulayem’s ascent to the most powerful position in global motorsport is particularly remarkable given that, by his own admission, he was viewed as an outsider by the organisation not long ago.
“I remember there was one guy who told me, ‘we will never accept anyone in the FIA from your part of the world’,” Ben Sulayem recalled in a 2018 interview. “He was just ignorant. I didn’t retaliate and instead it encouraged me to work hard. I realised that most people did not think like them and sure enough we were embraced.”
As a champion of Middle East motorsport, Ben Sulayem has been influential in this growth. It is borne out of a genuine love of both the Gulf and all things automotive. But to call him an afficionado would be to undersell him.
The Emirati is car obsessed and anyone lucky enough to glimpse his personal collection tends to be left dumbstruck by its sheer size and impressive variety. From supercars to stone-cold classics – including a mini-fleet of Cadillacs of which he is particularly proud – the collection has brought plenty of media attention over the years.
Ben Sulayem’s motorsport origin story feels almost too fabled to be true. At just 10 years old he first put his foot on the throttle of his dad’s Land Rover, driving in the deserts of the recently unified emirates.
“When I sat in my father’s car as a child, I was fixated on the speedometer watching it go up and down and hoping one day I could be in control,” Ben Sulayem said. “Since that moment, my passion for cars has never cooled or softened.”
After stumbling across a desert rally in 1981, Ben Sulayem was immediately entranced. He signed up to compete the following year under the pseudonym Mohammed Mohammed as he feared using his real name because his father was in politics. It was the beginning of a long career.
He won rallies across the Middle East – in the UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon, Kuwait, Bahrain and Syria -and held a monopoly over the Dubai International Rally in the 1990s, winning it eight times in 10 years and claiming 15 victories across his career.
One of those triumphs came despite Ben Sulayem suffering a broken neck during the race, which required him to have four bolts and a plate inserted afterwards. He continued racing. When competing in Lebanon he nearly died after his car was set ablaze following a crash. He continued racing.
His fearlessness as a driver has been transformed into caution as a motorsport administrator. Ben Sulayem has worked tirelessly to make motorsport safer, insisting countlessly that a safe race is not a boring race and claiming “technology is a blessing… when you think there are no more changes needed, you should leave this sport”.
The Middle East motorsport landscape is now rich and flourishing, with the F1 Grands Prix in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain joined by Qatar and Saudi Arabia for the first-time last year, while the 8 Hours of Bahrain Endurance race and Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge add further colour.
In Saudi Arabia, the Formula E Dyriyah E-Prix has taken place in Riyadh since 2018 and the legendary Dakar Rally has spent three years in the Kingdom. From next year, it is set to take drivers across the deserts of the UAE and Qatar as well.
But while Ben Sulayem will always fight the Middle East’s corner at the FIA, his appointment has left a chasm in regional motorsport governance that needs to be filled if new Arab driving talent is to be discovered and nurtured. The Emirati has always been hopeful but also insistent that those with potential need to put in the hard yards.
“Until recently, circuits never existed in this part of the world… now Middle East motorsport is booming. But there needs to be commitment from those with talent. It is not just about being good at racing. We need people prepared to put the hours and the work. You can’t turn up and think you know everything. We need new blood and new heroes”
Mashael Al Obaidan: Motorsport’s burgeoning star
One of the drivers attempting to heed Ben Sulayem’s advice is Mashael Al Obaidan, whose career is beginning to burst into life aged 33. In January she made history alongside compatriot Dania Akeel – the two women becoming the first Saudis to compete in the iconic Dakar Rally.
Starting in Ha’il in the Kingdom’s north-west, the race passed through the canyons of NEOM, the Red Sea coast, the dramatic dunes of Rub al Khali (the Empty Quarter) and ended in Jeddah. For Al Obaidan it was dream debut in her homeland.
“This was a life-changing experience for me,” Al Obaidan explains. It is only a few days after Dakar’s conclusion and her beaming smile belies the gruelling 14-days of driving she has just completed. “It’s been one hell of a journey. My goal was just to finish the Dakar, not to compete for position. I did that and I know I can be proud.”
It is unsurprising that the Saudi driver considers the desert to be her domain and she was determined that the Dakar Rally would not just be about raw speed, but reflection of the experience too.
“One day, I just took my helmet off, lay down on the ground and just looked around. Cars were passing me, and my co-pilot asked what I was doing. I said ‘I’m taking it in’.
“Every day before I started, I would sit and feel the energy in the desert. Every day I appreciated that I was racing the Dakar in Saudi Arabia.”
The Dakar Rally is, quite literally, full of ups and downs. Giant dunes are scaled and vast distances covered. At one stage, Al Obaidan and several of her competitors took a wrong turn in the desert and ended up finishing their stage at night.
“I couldn’t see clearly what was in front of me but there was this feeling of excitement. Once I’m in the driving seat I’m fast and fully focused – you don’t think about anything in life apart from that. It is freedom.
“I am not a fan of racing on a track – I’ve tried a couple of times but it’s not for me. I need that unknown, unexpected excitement and that’s why I love rally.”
The hurdles faced by Al Obaidan to get to the Dakar Rally start-line were myriad, from convincing the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation to award their first female licenses to personally fighting for sponsorship from the private sector.
“Every time I spoke to people they would tell me to forget about it but I wouldn’t take no for an answer. I knocked on doors and pitched myself. I got more than 50 rejections and it was really hard.
“The ecosystem isn’t fully developed yet and I had to fight a lot to get here. It wasn’t an easy path but I don’t mind. I don’t think you have the same pleasure if it is easy.”
Al Obaidan is fortunate to have a giant of Middle East motorsport as one of her mentors. At the end of her first Dakar Rally, she watched Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah stand triumphantly atop the podium in Jeddah as victor of the prestigious event for a fourth time.
“Nasser is a true champion. He has worked really hard, he’s very humble and he is more than happy to teach you what he learned over the last three decades. For me he is a great role model. We are good friends and he has given me lots of great advice. He’s really helped me.”
The 33-year-old Saudi has now become a role model herself and she has found that sharing her journey on social media has empowered others to take their first steps in motorsport.
“I remember even when I first posted pictures of me riding a dirt bike, people started reaching out and now it obviously happens even more. It’s not just women, and not just from Saudi Arabia- people from across many different Arab countries asking ‘how can we learn and where can we start?’ There is an appetite for sure – I think participation will build and build.”
Al Obaid is living the vision of Mohammed Ben Sulayem and shares the dream of Hamad Al Fardan about the future of motorsport in the region; she hopes the 2022 Dakar Rally was just the start of her competitive journey.
“Yes the Dakar is a big achievement – to have Saudi females participate this year is great but I don’t see it as a one-time achievement. I can’t wait for the next one.
“I think we are just beginning and have a lot more milestones ahead. I truly believe the Middle East, and in particularly Saudi, will be the heart of motorsports globally in the future.”