Tom Bale has lived most of his young life in the fast lane and is showing no signs of slowing down.
After a whirlwind season across the region’s tracks, the Formula Gulf 1,000 champion will compete at Oulton Park in Cheshire, England, today as part of the Chris Dittmann Racing team in the BRDC Formula 4 Championship.
Bale, 16, was born in Swansea, Wales, and moved with his family to Dubai 10 years ago. Even before then, he had caught the speed bug.
Ironically, it was an unfortunate accident that set him on the road to success.
“I’ve always been interested in motorsport, from about the age of five,” he said. “I first started out with quad biking but broke my arm doing that. I decided then that it was too dangerous, so I had a go at karting when I was seven and loved it, so it has grown from there.”
Last season Bale won nine of his 12 races, in the process recording five pole positions and 10 fastest laps.
He is ready for the next challenge, although this will not be the first time that he has raced outside the Gulf.
“Up until 12 I had only raced in the UAE in the national karting championship, but then I ventured into Europe when things got more serious,” he said. “I’ve only recently moved into cars, at 15, and that’s when it got quite serious.”
Bale’s parents have played a huge part in his development, dedicating time and finances to support what the teenager still calls his “hobby”.
But Bale’s success has meant it is becoming more than just a pastime. Still, he is determined that success on the track does not come at the expense of his education.
“The balance between my racing and schooling has been difficult, especially this last year as I’ve had my GCSE exams,” Bale said. “So I’ve had to narrow down on the racing. Even though that isn’t ideal, I understand how important an education is, especially since it is so hard to make a career out of motorsport, and I need other options.”
This level of maturity has brought him success at more than one discipline.
“The last season in the UAE was an important and good one. I raced in both karting and in cars,” he said.
“The car racing [Formula Gulf 1,000] went fantastically with me winning the championship in my debut year.
“In terms of karting, I missed a few events due to commitments to the car racing, but the events I did enter went well, and it is good to see the karting scene is growing in the UAE.”
Bale has excelled at karting previously, competing in WSK European and CIK World and European Championships.
He is a three-time UAE Cadet Karting champion and finished fourth in the 2012 CIK Academy Championship. Now he is looking to emulate two of his heroes on an even bigger stage.
“I have always supported Lewis Hamilton and Valentino Rossi,” Bale said. “They have inspired me more than anyone else in motorsport.”
During the past week, Bale and his family have been back in the UK as he prepares to join the remainder of this season’s BRDC F4 Championship.
The series is a single-seater format for young drivers, with a mix of professional and privately funded teams driving identical two-litre cars.
His first race is tonight at 7.30pm UAE time, while tomorrow he will compete twice, at 1.50pm and 6.30pm.
“In terms of preparing for a race, I try to do as much practice on that track as possible in addition to watching videos and doing simulator work to get into the right mindset for the car and track,” the young Welshman said.
Despite all his success during the past few years in the UAE, Bale is well aware that he is stepping into a far more competitive field.
“The level of competition will definitely increase from racing back home,” he said. “The driving standards are much tougher here as there are bigger grids and more experienced drivers.
“I have a good idea of how difficult it will be to adapt so quickly to the new car and tracks I am faced with, and I look forward to the task at hand.”
Obviously a level-headed young man, Bale still has a dream.
“My ambitions for the future are to make a successful career out of my hobby, motorsports, ideally by getting paid to drive a car very quickly,” he said.
akhaled@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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Results
Men's finals
45kg:Duc Le Hoang (VIE) beat Zolfi Amirhossein (IRI) points 29-28. 48kg: Naruephon Chittra (THA) beat Joseph Vanlalhruaia (IND) TKO round 2.
51kg: Sakchai Chamchit (THA) beat Salam Al Suwaid (IRQ) TKO round 1. 54kg: Veerasak Senanue (THA) beat Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) 30-25.
57kg: Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) RSC round 3. 60kg: Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 30-27.
63.5kg: Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE) 29-28. 67kg: Narin Wonglakhon (THA) beat Mohammed Mardi (UAE) 29-28.
71kg: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) w/o Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ). 75kg: Youssef Abboud (LBN) w/o Ayoob Saki (IRI).
81kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Khaled Tarraf (LBN) 29-28. 86kg: Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Emil Umayev (KAZ) 30-27.
91kg: Hamid Reza Kordabadi (IRI) beat Mohamad Osaily (LBN) RSC round 1. 91-plus kg: Mohammadrezapoor Shirmohammad (IRI) beat Abdulla Hasan (IRQ) 30-27.
Women's finals
45kg: Somruethai Siripathum (THA) beat Ha Huu Huynh (VIE) 30-27. 48kg: Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Colleen Saddi (PHI) 30-27.
51kg: Wansawang Srila Or (THA) beat Thuy Phuong Trieu (VIE) 29-28. 54kg: Ruchira Wongsriwo (THA) beat Zeinab Khatoun (LBN) 30-26.
57kg: Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Zahra Nasiri Bargh (IRI) 30-27. 60kg: Kaewrudee Kamtakrapoom (THA) beat Sedigheh Hajivand (IRI) TKO round 2.
63.5kg: Nadiya Moghaddam (IRI) w/o Reem Al Issa (JOR).
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The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
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