Going to a Formula One race never gets old. However many circuits you’ve visited, there’s an electricity at race weekend you can’t find anywhere else. The air is thick with anticipation and burning rubber – and if you’re lucky enough to be in the Paddock Club, expensive perfumes too.
In April, I was in Bahrain for the fourth Grand Prix of the season, part of a press pack invited by Louis Vuitton. In the hospitality area, Steven Gerrard sat nearby, while superstar DJ Peggy Gou wafted in, trailed by what must be the world’s most glamorous entourage.
Entertainment is always a big part of the experience, and we have a lot to look forward to in Abu Dhabi at the end of the season, with Metallica, Benson Boone and Katy Perry already set to perform.
In Bahrain, I experienced a series of once-in-a-lifetime moments – from sitting on the pit wall like aspiring team principals, to touring every corner and straight of the island country's track, the first Formula One circuit built in the Middle East two decades ago. According to Emirati FIA President Mohammed ben Sulayem, it “paved the way” for other Gulf countries to follow in Formula One.
I also got up close with Louis Vuitton’s latest Trophy Trunk, its fifth specially crafted piece of the season. Handmade in the maison’s Asnieres atelier, and adorned with its monogram canvas and a bold “V” for both Victory and Vuitton, the trunk nods to the host country as well as the Middle East’s role in global motorsport.
Louis Vuitton’s automotive legacy dates back to 1897, when Georges Vuitton created trunks for the new era of cars, inventing the durable “Vuittonite” to withstand life on the road.
This year, Louis Vuitton also introduced a revamped, race-ready logo, which was prominently displayed on Bahrain’s trackside signage. Brand refreshes are risky, but this one – a kinetic go-fast twist on tradition – looked striking amid the sponsor-heavy circuit.
It’s a clever blend of heritage and futurism that I hope finds its way into the maison’s wider aesthetic.
Louis Vuitton’s relationship with Formula One started with its Trophy Trunk for the Monaco Grand Prix in 2021. It is now the third LVMH brand to sponsor F1, a smart move in a sport with more than 800 million fans worldwide, thanks to cultural phenomena such as Drive to Survive.
Sponsorship here is serious business: Red Bull alone has about 40 partners, and Formula One itself is a branding gold mine. Luxury brands have long understood F1’s cultural pull.
In the 1980s, Tag Heuer’s aggressive placement on McLaren cars made it a household name, while Hugo Boss tailored racing suits for Ayrton Senna’s team. More recently, Tommy Hilfiger, Richard Mille and Off-White have become involved. Even the fictional APX GP team in the upcoming AppleTV+ F1 movie have recognised Formula One as a platform that transcends sport – and scored an enviable number of real-world sponsors in the process.
At the 21st Bahrain Grand Prix, on a circuit that is known for its dusk-lit drama and technical challenges, Oscar Piastri triumphed. Everyone in the paddock and pit lane rushed to the stage as the trophy ceremony began.
I’ve watched moments like this on TV since the 1990s, dreaming as a kid of heroes such as Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill. I never imagined I’d stand this close to this generation’s heroes.
As Piastri, Norris and Russell made their way to the podium, my eyes drifted to the trunk cradling the trophy, emblazoned with the tagline: “Victory Travels in Louis Vuitton”. As far as messaging goes, it’s hard to imagine anything more powerful in one of the world’s most high-stakes spectacles.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Aston martin DBX specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Top speed: 291kph
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: Q2, 2020
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) US$175,000 1,000m
7.05pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (Dirt) $100,000 1,900m
7.40pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,800m
8.15pm: Handicap (D) $135,000 2,000m
8.50pm: Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,400m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) $135,000 2,410m.
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
