Fatigue was a key theme of the first question and answer session with the assembled Formula One drivers ahead of Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Now in its 15th year, the UAE event, which marks the culmination of the racing season, has prompted a series of talking points, with many considering the tail-end of the tournament to be on the rushed side.
“We’re delirious,” Daniel Ricciardo said when asked about how the drivers were feeling, prompting laughter amongst those present.
It was clearly a light-hearted remark, but many noted a more serious side to the Australian driver’s comment.
“It’s been a busy year,” he added, to nods of approval from his fellow drivers. “We’ve had a crazy, crazy year,” agreed triple champion Max Verstappen.
All the participants remained upbeat about the upcoming race, though.
A degree of tiredness aside, the drivers were keen to emphasise the racing over the weekend will still be competitive despite the fact the main prizes are no longer up for grabs.
Verstappen and Red Bull have the drivers' and contructors' safely in the bag.
The Dutchman and the rest of the Red Bull team remain positive about next year, but they will not be taking it for granted that the positive results will necessarily continue into next season.
Verstappen admits the car is not a perfect product, and acknowledges the efforts being made by other teams to encroach on their success.
“We are working on our car to try and make it better,” Verstappen said. “On street circuits we are struggling a bit more. Lower speed is definitely not our strongest point in the car.”
The Red Bull driver remained coy when asked a question about whether he would welcome Lewis Hamilton as a teammate.
He brushed the question aside, saying such conjecture was “hypothetical”, and he wasn’t in the business of commenting on something that remains unlikely. “There’s no point in making up stories if it isn’t happening,” he said.
For his part, Hamilton has denied reports he and his management team reached out to Red Bull supremo Christian Horner over a potential switch from Mercedes.
It’s becoming a point of honour for those behind the ultimate Formula 1 event in Abu Dhabi that, in recent years, there have been some surprising and unpredictable results.
That said, Verstappen remains the favourite and it would take a degree of bravery to doubt his likely victory on Sunday.
The other drivers will, of course, have their own points to prove, so we may see a couple of unexpected occurrences yet.
As things stand, Verstappen sits at the top of the table on 549 points, followed by Sergio Perez (273), Lewis Hamilton (232), Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso (both 200).
As regards the situation for the constructors, with eyes on the ongoing battle for second place between Mercedes (on 392 points) and Ferrari (388) being of particular interest, alongside how McLaren (284) will fare against Aston Martin (273).
The practice sessions for the race start early on Friday afternoon ahead of qualification on Saturday and finally the big race Sunday.
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
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The years Ramadan fell in May
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wes%20Ball%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Owen%20Teague%2C%20Freya%20Allen%2C%20Kevin%20Durand%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
