Last weekend, Dubai Autodrome saw the crowning of a new champion at the UAE’s national single-seater championship Formula Gulf 1000. Tejas Hirani, age 16 from Kenya, is the name to remember.
“It was very, very good series, a great racing experience if you’re moving into formula cars, formula racing,” said Hirani, who took up go-karting at age 9. “I learnt so many things like steering angles, break pressures. It was a very good season, I won eight races out of 14 and was on the podium every race, so I was very happy with myself that I won the championship.”
He first drove in Dubai four years ago, and took up formula racing a year ago. Fellow driver Tom Bale helped out with some contacts.
Hirani said that the constant travelling had no real effect on him physically, though it did present a logistical issue.
“It’s not that difficult because it’s only one hour time difference; Dubai is one hour ahead of Kenya,” he said. “It’s just the costs of getting there and getting back. It’s very costly.”
Gulf Sport Racing’s FG1000 series is a winter competition driving school and uses two professional driver coaches to mentor the young drivers: Thomas Erdos, a veteran of 13 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Andy Pardoe, who has coached many top drivers during a 25-year career.
As the final two races beckoned last Friday, Hirani led the standings by 10 points over Ahmed Al Ghanem of Kuwait with Saudi Arabia’s Mashhur Bal Hejaila fighting with another Kuwaiti, Yousef Al Bader, for third.
Despite the pressure, Hirani said he enjoyed the challenges.
“Ahmed from Kuwait and Mashur from Saudi, they put a lot pressure on me,” he said, “but it was quite good fun.”
There was, however, one obstacle he could not have foreseen on the eve of the final two races. “I was very nervous, there was a sandstorm on Thursday, which was practice day, so we didn’t get any practice,” he said.
“I was wondering what’s going to happen in the race. Then we found out they changed the layout of the track. I was quite confident because when we did the pre-season testing I was the quickest here, I had high confidence before the race and this motivated me.”
Hirani duly won the first race, beating Bal Hejaila. This meant he only needed to finish in the second race to be crownedchampion. He won that for good measure, too, beating Al Ghanem for a perfect score on the season’s final day.
“In the beginning I was speechless, it didn’t really hit me until later on,” Hirani said.
“It proved to me that all the hard work that I put into my races pays off at the end. I was really happy, I was so excited I was speechless.”
Having a championship win on his CV is important for Hirani’s future professional racing prospects, but the triumph has also opened new doors for Hirani. He take part in simulator training and F3 testing for Spanish GP2 and GP3 team and series partner, Campos Racing. The future looks bright.
“I’m very looking forward to that,” he said. “The car looks amazing I saw some pictures on the internet. And then I have my local races as well.”
As for his long-term ambitions, the answer was as quick as it was easy.
“My biggest ambition is to be a world champion,” Hirani said. “It doesn’t matter, it just has to be four wheels and an amazing track, and I just want to be a world champion.”
akhaled@thenational.ae
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
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Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
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The biog
Born: near Sialkot, Pakistan, 1981
Profession: Driver
Family: wife, son (11), daughter (8)
Favourite drink: chai karak
Favourite place in Dubai: The neighbourhood of Khawaneej. “When I see the old houses over there, near the date palms, I can be reminded of my old times. If I don’t go down I cannot recall my old times.”
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FA Cup fifth round
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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.