Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), acknowledged the important part played by the Middle East in the continued evolution of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Looking towards the back-to-back F1 rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia over the next two weekends, Ben Sulayem, an Emirati motorsport legend, says the two races, and those to follow in Qatar in November and Abu Dhabi in December, have combined to make a big impact on F1.