Experts and athletes in the world of motorsport have stated that the Gulf countries' ownership of modern racetracks and hosting of four Grands Prix in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE on the Formula 1 World Championship calendar contributes to creating a suitable environment for the dream of an 'Arab champion' in this sport to come true. However, they emphasized that talent alone is not enough without massive financial support and long-term development plans.Experts told 'Emirates Today' that the region's success in rallying and the presence of Gulf champions in world desert rallying championships for cars and motorcycles is due to rallying being part of the region's history and sporting heritage. Unlike Formula 1, which still needs a comprehensive development system that allows Arab talents to gradually progress from karting to the professional 'Formula 3' and 'Formula 2' series before reaching the top level, a path that costs over $10 million.Jordanian motorsport journalist, Faras Namri, said that the administrations of circuits and sports bodies in the region 'need more coordination to optimally benefit from this huge logistical infrastructure,' pointing to the importance of organizing a regional championship that would raise the level of competition compared to local championships and open the door for the elite to progress towards the global level.Namri explained that local karting championships, despite their importance, are not sufficient, as world talents receive support that allows them to cover thousands of miles in different weather conditions and on various tracks, which gives them an experience that is not currently sufficiently available to Arab talents.On the other hand, former single-seater driver and sports analyst, Khalil Bishara, stated that the huge financial costs limit the ability of talents to achieve the dream of competing in Formula 1, adding: 'Talent alone is not enough without the right mechanisms that allow talents to move up to higher competitive levels. Financial support and sponsorship of drivers with tens of millions of dollars is a key factor in their journey to Formula 1.'Bishara confirmed that current efforts in lower categories like karting contribute to increasing the number of talents, but the path to moving up to global professional levels is still difficult.In turn, four-time World Short Desert Rally 'Baja' champion, Emirati Mohammed Al Buloushi, stated that sponsorship is an essential part of enabling talented individuals to achieve the dream of global recognition, stressing the need for 'hard work and making sacrifices' that would encourage companies and national brands to adopt them.Al Buloushi added: 'The desert environment available in our region facilitated the emergence of champions in rallying, but circuit racing needs systems and mechanisms that encourage our commercial brands to invest in talents. Moreover, having a national project to support individual talents is necessary to balance sports spending compared to other sports like football.'He explained that achieving this balance will help guide major companies in the region, which have been sponsoring Formula 1 teams for years, to support an Arab driver capable of progressing globally and competing alongside the elite of drivers.
