Spa-Francorchamps is generally regarded as the ultimate driver's circuit, a favourite track for every level of driver from Formula 1 championship leader Jenson Button right down to the relatively unknown karters.
It boasts plenty of historic twists and turns: the Bus Stop, Rivage, La Source hairpin and, of course, Eau Rouge, the most famous and challenging part of the circuit where competitors must contend with a blind uphill corner.
Lucas Ordonez is familiar with the circuit's layout - when he closes his eyes, he can even picture the start-finish line and the run to the sharp opening corner at La Source hairpin.
But what Ordonez cannot begin to describe is the "strange, fun feeling" that fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso talked of when it came to tackling Eau Rouge at the Belgian Grand Prix last year or the telling G-force inflicted on drivers in all manner of racing classes.
For Ordonez has only ever experienced Spa's history on his PlayStation games console courtesy of Gran Turismo 5, a game that turned his life around to a staggering degree.
The 24-year-old always fancied himself as an accomplished gamer and last year joined 25,000 other people entering a competition to set the fastest possible lap time on the game with the chance to join the Nissan/PlayStation GT Academy.
Ordonez was one of 22 people selected from across Europe to take part in the academy at Silverstone in the UK, the ultimate prize being a one-off drive in the Dubai 24-Hour endurance race at the start of this year.
Amid a variety of mental, physical and driving challenges, the 22 were whittled down to a final line-up of eight who battled it out in a race format, which Ordonez won, to finally round off his stunning move from gamer to real racer.
And in January he teamed up with ex-F1 driver Johnny Herbert and established sportscar racers Rob Barff and Alex Buncombe to compete at the Dubai event.
Much to everyone's surprise, Ordonez produced an error-free drive, leading Herbert, a two-time grand prix winner, to mark him out as a "special talent with a special future in motorsport".
And Ordonez is still very much living the dream, having been signed up to drive for Nissan with Buncombe in the GT4 European Cup this season, a decision that led him to pronounce that "I half expect to wake up any moment now".
"It still seems crazy most days," admitted the Madrid-based racer. "My family still can't quite believe what's happened, while my friends think I'm living their dreams. It's my dream too and I can't quite believe it really."
The son of a motorsport enthusiast - his father competed in lesser rally and sportscar events in Spain when he was growing up - Ordonez had dreamed of a professional motorsports career.
He twice attended the Spanish Grand Prix as a youngster and relished the idea of emulating his idol Ayrton Senna. However, after showing early prowess in karting, he gave up on his driving ambitions to focus on school, assuming he had had chance his chance.
"Until this competition, I didn't think I had a chance," he said. "I was just thinking about getting myself a job when I heard about the competition. I'd just finished university, where I'd studied a business and marketing degree, and also an MBA in business administration.
"I didn't have a clue what I was going to do workwise and, having got this chance, being a driver is all I want to do."
It remains to be seen whether Ordonez can continue his dream. It would appear he has the talent. He finished a remarkable third in his first GT4 race, pulling off a stunning overtaking manoeuvre on one of the BMWs in the field on the final lap to snatch an unlikely podium place.
And at the last round at Oschersleben, he went one better to finish second, with a victory looking a dead cert before the end of the season and possibly as soon as the next round at Spa on July 25.
But he says he needs more than just ability to continue past this season. At present, his travel to the race weekends and expenses are paid for by Nissan but he remains an unpaid driver and makes ends meet by living with his parents. "I don't want to let this go," he said, "but it is hard, hard work, although I'm not complaining. I now have a personal trainer who I work with four days a week. He's a tough guy but it's just what I need as it's a little bit different playing on the computer to driving around some of the world's most famous tracks. Sitting behind the wheel's a lot harder than you think."
Understandably there were some who initially poured scorn on the relatively untried and untested Ordonez entering GT racing, including his own co-driver Buncombe.
"I think when he first saw me and was told we'd be driving together, he thought that everyone had gone crazy, that it was a stupid idea," Ordonez said. "I think he thought I'd be a slow driver and it would make life difficult for him as a professional driver. But in that first race when we came third I think he was impressed.
"Things have been great, he's a great team-mate and he's worked with me a lot on trying to improve my driving. I like to think he's proud of me and what we've achieved together so far this season."
Another big help to Ordonez getting up to speed was Herbert, who was his initial coach after he won the Playstation competition.
But Herbert is not the only F1 driver - past and present - to have passed tips onto the Spaniard. He has met two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, while McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa has continually passed on information.
"A lot of people have really helped," he explained. "Pedro was really pleased for my achievement but he pushed me on to think ever more professionally and to work hard at every moment to hold on to this and to fight for my dream. I think that's what I've done."
The one irony is that Ordonez's busy career means that his gaming past is very much on hold.
He barely has time to use his PlayStation any more, although he admits Gran Turismo 5 is the one game he still plays in a bid to get up to speed with the circuits on the calendar, all of which are new to him.
"It's odd when you drive at some of these circuits, as you feel like you know them a bit from the game but it's very hard getting ready in that way," he said.
"Every weekend I'm learning, learning, learning. I think I've done a good job and that I'm getting better every weekend.
"To win at Spa would be another dream come true but I think that might be difficult as it suits other cars maybe a little better. But I'd be disappointed if Alex and I didn't win a race this season. We're getting closer and closer to it."
Despite uncertainty over the path his motorsport career might yet take him, Ordonez is already setting ambitious targets well past the GT4 European Cup.
The ultimate dream is to compete at Le Mans. "I always watched that when I was younger and to be able to drive there in the 24 Hours would be incredible," he said.
"Being a driver is something I want to do for the rest of my life, to never let go."
How he handles Spa-Francorchamps may go a long way to deciding that.
mmajendie@thenational.ae
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Brief scoreline
Switzerland 0
England 0
Result: England win 6-5 on penalties
Man of the Match: Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The Intruder
Director: Deon Taylor
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good
One star
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Chris%20Jordan%20on%20Sanchit
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Copa del Rey
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners