Bahrain's Salman aims to get back on podium

Dubai: Bahrain's Shaikh Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa, who aims to boost his title bid when the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East arrives in Saudi Arabia next week, is still battling to keep alive his dream of entering the Formula One arena.

The peak performance in his career so far came in 2005 when he captured seven pole positions and scored six race victories to win the Formula BMW Asia Championship.

Now rising to the challenge of the new one-make Porsche series, sponsored by Michelin and Mobil 1, Shaikh Salman is determined to get back on to the victory podium when rounds 3 and 4 unfold at Reem International Circuit outside Riyadh on January 6-7.

"Winning the Formula BMW [Asia] title was the highlight of my career to this point, but I shall be looking to add a few more championships," he said.

"The aim has always been to make some sort of impression on the F1 world through testing or becoming first Arab driver to get that level. My dreams are alive and I'll keep them alive as long as I can and keep on pushing."