Formula One is poised for another dramatic season, starting on March 5 in Bahrain, and ending with the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 26 at Yas Marina Circuit.
Hopes are high for a thrilling and hard-fought contest as Red Bull's Max Verstappen bids for a third successive drivers' world championship.
But, after cruising to the title in 2022, the Dutch driver is not expected to have it so easy in 2023 as Ferrari and Mercedes go all-out to wrestle away his crown.
Here's all you need to know about the 2023 world championship.
The drivers
Alfa Romeo
Valtteri Bottas (Finland, car 77)
Zhou Guanyu (China, car 24)
AlphaTauri
Nyck de Vries (Netherlands, car 21)
Yuki Tsunoda (Japan, car 22)
Alpine
Esteban Ocon (France, car 31)
Pierre Gasly (France, car 10)
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso (Spain, car 14)
Lance Stroll (Canada, car 18)
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc (Monaco, car 16)
Carlos Sainz (Spain, car 55)
Haas
Kevin Magnussen (Denmark, car 20)
Nico Hulkenberg (Germany, car 27)
McLaren
Lando Norris (GB, car 4)
Oscar Piastri (Australia, car 81)
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton (GB, car 44)
George Russell (GB, car 63)
Red Bull
Max Verstappen (Netherlands, car 1)
Sergio Perez (Mexico, car 11)
Williams
Alexander Albon (Thai-GB, car 23)
Logan Sargeant (USA, car 2)
The race calendar
Bahrain Grand Prix
Bahrain IC, Sakhir
March 3-5
Saudi Arabia Grand Prix
Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah
March 17-19
Australian Grand Prix
Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
March 31-April 2
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Baku City Circuit
April 28-30
Miami Grand Prix
Miami International Autodrome
May 5-7
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Imola
May 19-21
Monaco Grand Prix
Monte Carlo
May 26-28
Spanish Grand Prix
Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona
June 2-4
Canadian Grand Prix
Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
June 16-18
Austrian Grand Prix
Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
June 30-July 2
British Grand Prix
Silverstone
July 7-9
Hungarian Grand Prix
Hungaroring, Mogyorod
July 21-23
Belgian Grand Prix
Spa-Francorchamps
July 28-30
Dutch Grand Prix
Zandvoort
August 25-27
Italian Grand Prix
Monza
September 1-3
Singapore Grand Prix
Marina Bay, SingaporeMarina Bay, Singapore
September 15-17
Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka
September 22-24
Qatar Grand Prix
Losail International Circuit, Doha
October 6-8
United States Grand Prix
Circuit of the Americas, Austin
October 20-22
Mexican Grand Prix
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City
October 27-29
Brazilian Grand Prix
Interlagos, Sao Paulo
November 3-5
Las Vegas Grand Prix
Las Vegas Street Circuit
November 17-19
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina
November 24-26
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Hoffenheim v Liverpool
Uefa Champions League play-off, first leg
Location: Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim
Kick-off: Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000 
On sale: now
Specs 
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
 
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Golden Shoe top five (as of March 1):
Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
 
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
 
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
 
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
 
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24
July 8: New Zealand v Lions
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE%20FIXTURES
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MATCH INFO
Norwich City 1 (Cantwell 75') Manchester United 2 (Aghalo 51' 118') After extra time.
Man of the match Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
-      Don’t do it more than once in three days
-      Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
-      Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
-      Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
-      Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
-      Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
-      Manage your sleep
-      People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
-      Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
Poacher
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