Formula One fans of all ages and nationalities are in Abu Dhabi for Formula One's season finale.
Ahead of Sunday's grand prix, Yas Marina Circuit welcomed petrolheads for the traditional public pitlane walk.
With the day’s limited programme reserved for practice sessions, visitors are given the opportunity to see the glimmering cars and team garages upfront as part of the walk.
Fans accessed the area during the afternoon and made their way through the garages of all 10 teams.
Popular sides such as Mercedes and Ferrari garnered the most attention and selfies, while small groups gathered around the spaces of F1 minnows such as Alfa Romeo and Haas.
Michael Mansour was found peering over the barriers of the latter team, who are on track to finish bottom of the Constructor Standings this season.
“It can be an amazing and lonely experience supporting this team,” he tells The National. “But this is what supporting the underdog is all about, right? It is about being with the team during the good times and the bad times, although this year it was mostly bad.”
The Dubai resident has been following the American side for three years. As someone who works in sales, Mansour says there is a lot to love about Haas.
“At the end of the day, Formula One is also about the people, from the drivers to the mechanics and team principles,” he says. “Each team is a family and each member has their own personalities and stories and this is what draws many of us to support our team.”
For Mexican couple Sonia and Jose Perez, the chance to see compatriot, Red Bull's Sergio Perez, race in their home city lured them to their first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“I have only been living in the UAE, here in Abu Dhabi, for a year and a half and already I can see how this is such an international city,” Sonia says. “The Mexican community here is actually quite strong and already I have been hearing so many Mexican accents in the pitlane and the stands.
“I don’t need to ask them who they are here for, we are with Sergio Perez all the way.”
South African couple Arendane and Refilwe Mauda came to Abu Dhabi from Johannesburg as neutral spectators.
“We actually went to the first grand prix of the season in Bahrain so we thought it would be great to see the last one,” says Arendane.
As for the joys of the pitlane walk, Refilwe says it is hard to explain to those unfamiliar with the sport.
“I love everything about it like hearing the engine roaring and even the sound of the drills,” she says.
“I think fans love it because we often see the races on television and so to see these cars right in front of you, you realise how amazing they are and how loud they can be.”
The Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix continues with further practice rounds on Friday, followed by the qualifying session on Saturday and Sunday's race.
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
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Torque: 450Nm
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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FA CUP FINAL
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
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Rating: 3.5/5
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
