Max Verstappen's championship-winning ways have only just begun, according to Formula One legend Fernando Alonso. And more than almost anyone the relentlessly brilliant, Teflon-coated, Kevlar-hard, double-world champion Alonso should know the real deal when he sees it.
Verstappen wrapped up his third successive championship in sweltering Qatar on Saturday, the icing on the cake of a dominant season unmatched in F1 history.
Alonso – who has been chasing a third drivers' title for the last 17 years – was more than happy to lead the chorus of recognition as Verstappen continued his climb through the pantheon of F1’s very greatest names.
Only Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Juan Manuel Fangio sit above him now in terms of world championships won.
At just 26 and with five years remaining on his Red Bull contract many believe Hamilton and Schumacher’s seven-tile haul is well within Verstappen's reach.
Asked if he could compare the Dutchman to legends like Ayrton Senna and Schumacher, Alonso said: “I’ve only been wheel to wheel with Michael but with Michael maybe, yes.”
“And for the next few years he will keep adding championships so we will compare him with Michael even closer in future.”
“When you win so many races – sometimes in tricky weather conditions – when you make no mistakes and deliver the job every weekend it deserves big respect.”
The man himself is pugilistic to an absurd extent, squaring up to one driver in the pit lane and even threatening to attack a journalist.
But he is also unashamedly honest in his self-appraisal: “I never thought I would be on that list [of champions]. Of course you dream of getting to F1 and trying to win a race or maybe get a podium. But to be among those names makes me very proud.”
Although he has the same brand of aggressive racing as Schumacher and Senna, Verstappen is a product of his age.
Drivers rule courtesy of their cars and this kind of domination comes in swathes for four or five years.
Verstappen has ruled for three, Hamilton for six before that and earlier still Vettel and Schumacher for four and five years respectively.
Is it unfair to say all three of the Dutchman’s titles are "tainted" to one extent or another, though through no fault of his own.
His first in 2021 featured arguably his greatest performances, but everything was subsumed by the controversy of the final and title-deciding race in Abu Dhabi.
Then there was the budget shenanigans of 2022. Red Bull were fined and punished for overspending but it has coloured everything they have done since.
The team claims the extra money was only spent on sausage rolls, lint and pension payments but rivals believe they are still paying the price today for the advantage Red Bull built then.
Given those extraordinary performances it seems unfair to question Verstappen’s place in history.
It is also fair to ask: Who has Verstappen really beaten? On equal terms? In the same equipment?
Isn’t that the ultimate measure of talent?
Hamilton has partnered three champions: Alonso, Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg and, to be fair. beaten, as well as been beaten by, all three.
Senna raced Alain Prost in the same car; Prost raced Nigel Mansell; Nelson Piquet, a triple champion, raced Mansell, too. Mika Hakkinen raced Senna. Even Schumacher partnered triple champion Piquet.
By these criteria Verstappen has beaten Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo and annihilated Sergio Perez. Hardly stellar names. And Perez has certainly not made the grade
Of all the teams aren’t Red Bull the outliers? The rebel rousers? The ones who are all about the journey rather than the destination? Red Bull Gives you Wings and all that?
The drinks brand is about adventure, flirting with danger, not playing it safe. And yet in F1 they do.
By failing to team Verstappen with a real star they are dodging the essence of their brand and everything F1 is about.
The bulk of casual F1 fans remember the rivalries, the battles, the rows. All but the essence of boring record runs fades from memory like a bad smell.
The Senna and Prost years, Nikki Lauda and James Hunt, Hamilton and Alonso, created spectacular sporting histories. They also made modern McLaren as a brand.
Of course, if Red Bull team boss Christian Horner could pluck up the courage to pick up the phone, Alonso himself would probably be glad to fill that chasm for a modest fee.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali
Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
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
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Other IPL batting records
Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle
Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir
Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell
Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)
Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar
Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle
Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir
Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Fastest fifty (balls faced): 14 – Lokesh Rahul (for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in 2018)
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler
Price, base: Dh132,000
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km
Read more about the coronavirus
