Shaikh Salman Bin Isa Al Khalifa acknowledges that he has got massive task following in the footsteps of Martin Whitaker down at the BIC. Perhaps it’s racing instincts, but put him in the ‘seat’ and he is raring to go!

The acting CEO of Bahrain International Circuit, Shaikh Salman Bin Isa Al Khalifa spoke to Bahrain This Month about his inheritance and what he’d like to achieve as the man in the driving seat.

On objectives
I like tangible things; if it is tangible, you can tell someone it’s there. We need to have a clear vision and set realistic goals that can be achieved.

On changing the past
If there is one thing we might have done differently, it is karting. We should, perhaps, have built a karting track earlier. This is the grassroots of motorsports, it’s where we need to continue to build for the future. It’s a pyramid structure; the more people participating in karting, then there’s a bigger pool of potential salon car racers, and so the chain builds.

On Entertainment
The agreement we have with First Bahrain, running through to March 14, for a Race Zone in the Seef area is a great opportunity for all the family to enjoy a variety of activities including a celebration of motorsport with arts and crafts, cultural music shows, games and entertainment for all ages and nationalities.

On priorities
as a racing driver, you don’t see the bigger picture. When I saw things from a business perspective as a circuit owner, however, I realised that if the racing is boring, nobody will come; it’s as simple as that. We have to offer spectators a great day out; there has to be more than just ‘racing’.

On F1 maturing crowds
We have seen, when playing back pictures of the crowd in the main stand, that the average amount of time spent watching the race has gradually gone up from year to year. It tells us the F1 fan base is maturing as spectators get more involved with the racing.