BARCELONA // Four months ago, Jenson Button was a blubbering wreck.
He returned from a week-long holiday to a phone call telling him that Honda had pulled the plug on their Formula 1 operation, and it looked likely the 29-year-old Briton would have to look for work elsewhere.
Button looks back on it as an "emotional and stressful time" that finally resolved itself last week when the former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn officially took over the team.
"I remember getting the call at the airport," he said. "The next day I went straight to the team factory to talk everything through. I was awash with emotion and gave a few emotional speeches to different departments. But the staff barely batted an eyelid. Their reaction was a positive one - they decided there was a car that still needed to be built and all credit to them."
Button must take at least some of the credit for the birth of BrawnGP. Brawn himself admitted it would not have been possible without Button's decision to take a massive pay cut - thought to be 50 per cent of the US$15 million (Dh55m)-a-year deal he earned as Honda's leading works driver.
But Button, a veteran of 153 races, brushes off the drop in his salary insisting it was "the only choice" despite being linked with race drives elsewhere for 2009.
"My plan B was not racing - it's as simple as that," he said. "I really wanted to be with this team in 2009 which is why I didn't even entertain any other possibilities. This is the best choice for me, the only choice for me.
"People talk about me making a sacrifice but it was necessary for everyone to make certain sacrifices, not just me. I'm just pleased that we've done it and the team is up and running. I'm here to race and I love racing.
"Being at the factory last week to hear Ross announce the news to the 700-strong workforce was a far cry from four months ago. There was the biggest applause and an amazing cheer, enough to give you your appetite for racing back."
The general perception is that Button has underachieved in F1. After a promising debut season as a 20-year-old at Williams, he has struggled for consistency with a string of uncompetitive and unreliable cars at Williams, BAR and Honda.
The one bright spark was victory - his only grand prix win to date - at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. But Button believes he still has more victories to come, saying: "I've still got a lot to prove in F1. I aim to be higher on the grid and I think it's still possible for me to win races.
"I'm 29 and I still feel like a kid. It feels like 2000 all over again but I've got nine years experience this time."
Company%20Profile
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
Company%20Profile
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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.
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Read more from Johann Chacko
The%20Specs
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Profile box
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%20PROFILE
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
SPECS
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The%20specs
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The%20specs
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A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km