ABU DHABI // The Formula One frenzy begins today when Yas Marina Circuit opens its gates to ticket holders.
The weekend of world-class racing got off to an early start last night when Lewis Hamilton drove the new McLaren MP4-C12 to its new showroom in Dubai.
This is the third Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the first that has not sold out. Unlike last year, when the drivers' championship came down to the final race in Abu Dhabi, this season's title was decided on October 9 when Sebastian Vettel clinched the decisive points in the Japanese Grand Prix.
Yet for many fans the UAE spectacle counts at least as much as the F1 standings.
"Abu Dhabi is now one those must-see grands prix on the calendar," said Richard Douglas of the UK. The IT consultant has been to more than eight grands prix, mainly Silverstone in the UK and races at mainland European tracks.
"It looks so good on TV and it is seen as a good party race," Mr Douglas, 38, said. "Last year, everyone was glued to it because it was a winner-takes-all final race. This year, I don't mind.
"I booked it at the start of the season hoping for a finale like last year but what can you do? I will just kick back and enjoy the atmosphere."
Two new special overtaking zones were announced yesterday, and Mr Douglas is in prime position. The Drag Reduction System zones, which allow each driver to open the rear wing of his car, boosting speed and helping with overtaking, will add to the excitement of the racing.
Mr Douglas will be in the South Grandstand, which overlooks one of the two zones. It starts at turn 10 for 700 metres and continues until Turn 11, which is in front of the Marina and South grandstands.
The second activation point is in front of the North Grandstand at Turn 7, allowing drivers to overtake on the second-longest straight in F1.
"That's an added bonus. To see them go even faster and hopefully see some passing out will make the weekend for me," Mr Douglas said.
Gates open at noon today and people with three-day passes will be able to get close to the cars in the pitlane walk, which starts at 2pm. Teams will have their cars on show and fans will be able to chat with team members including some of the drivers.
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, a two-time world champion, and the 2008 runner-up Felipe Massa will be signing autographs in the F1 Village behind the Main Grandstand from 2pm to 2.20pm.
From 3pm, the seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg from Mercedes GP Petronas will sign autographs for 20 minutes.
It will not only be about the Formula One this weekend. Other races include the 2011 GP2 Final, the Porsche Mobil 1 Super Cup and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East.
Ticket-holders can also attend concerts by Britney Spears tomorrow, The Cult and Incubus on Saturday and Paul McCartney on Sunday evening.
The track will open at 9am tomorrow and Saturday, with the first practice session at 9.10am for the Porsche GT3 Challenge ME. The F1 cars will take to the 5.5km track for practice tomorrow at 1pm.
On Sunday, the track opens at 10.30am for the twilight race, the only one on the F1 calendar that starts in the daytime and finishes in the dark.
eharnan@thenational.ae
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Watford 1 (Deulofeu 80' p)
Chelsea 2 (Abraham 5', Pulisic 55')
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Most wanted allegations
- Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
- Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
- Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
- Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
- Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
- Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
- Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
- James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
- Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now