Red Bull
Team principal: Christian Horner (GB)
Drivers: Max Verstappen (NETH) and Sergio Perez (MEX)
LAST SEASON:
Constructors' championship: – 1st, 860 points
Drivers' championship: – Verstappen: 1st – 575 points / Perez: 2nd – 285 points
NEW SEASON IN BRIEF:
After three days of testing in Bahrain, the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have made it clear: It looks like more of the same for Red Bull and Verstappen. “Red Bull remain in front,” said Ferrari's Leclerc, “Red Bull clearly are out in the distance” added Mercedes' Hamilton.
Verstappen, seeking a fourth straight title but never one for hyperbole, said “the car was responding well”. The Dutch driver and his new RB20 car look every bit as unbeatable as its record-breaking predecessor.
Mercedes
Team principal: Toto Wolff (AUT)
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton (GB) and George Russell (GB)
LAST SEASON:
Constructors' championship: – 2nd, 409 points
Drivers' championship: – Hamilton: 3rd – 234 points / Russell: 8th – 175 points
NEW SEASON IN BRIEF:
A momentous season for Mercedes that sees Hamilton's spell with the team – that has seen him win six of his seven world titles – come to an end before he heads for pastures new with Ferrari.
Team boss Wolff expressed optimism over this year's car design which he says has created a “buzz in the company that is something I have not seen for so many years”. Hamilton added: “The car felt much more enjoyable to drive [than last year]. We still have time to find.”
Ferrari
Team principal: Frederic Vasseur (FRA)
Drivers: Charles Leclerc (MON) and Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP)
LAST SEASON:
Constructors' championship: – 3rd, 406 points
Drivers' championship: – Leclerc: 5th – 206 points / Sainz Jr: 7th – 200 points
NEW SEASON IN BRIEF:
Sainz will be looking to make a point before Hamilton takes over his seat next season and testing went positively for the Italian marque, who claimed the last of their 15 drivers' world titles back in 2007.
But Leclerc wasn't about to get carried away: “Red Bull remain in front. They have a very, very good car again this year. How far in front they are remains to be confirmed, but they seem to be in front for now, yes.”
McLaren
Team principal: Andrea Stella (ITA)
Drivers: Lando Norris (GB) and Oscar Piastri (AUS)
LAST SEASON:
Constructors' championship: – 4th, 302 points
Drivers' championship: – Norris: 6th – 205 points / Piastri: 9th – 97 points
NEW SEASON IN BRIEF:
The team will be looking to build on the improvement in the second half of last season when Norris was second only to Verstappen in points scored in the last dozen races.
“We are in a good position,” said Norris. “We had a decent car at the end of last season and we have definitely taken some steps in the right direction, but still a very long way behind Red Bull and a long way behind Ferrari.”
Aston Martin
Team principal: Mike Krack (LUX)
Drivers: Fernando Alonso (ESP) and Lance Stroll (CAN)
LAST SEASON:
Constructors' championship: – 5th, 280 points
Drivers' championship: – Alonso: 4th – 206 points / Stroll: 10th – 74 points
NEW SEASON IN BRIEF:
Alonso made a flying start to last season when the two-time world champion missed out on the podium only twice in the first eight races. He was unable to maintain that form, though, appearing in the top three only once more. The Spaniard, who is in the running to replace Hamilton at Mercedes next year, is pleased with the car's progress ahead of the new season.
“The car is a step forward, the car feels better,” Alonso said. “Everyone made a step forward this year, we see the concepts of the car and the ideas are more of the same for everybody. So I think it’s going to be tight and very intense.”
Alpine
Team principal: Bruno Famin (FRA)
Drivers: Pierre Gasly (FRA) and Estaban Ocon (FRA)
LAST SEASON:
Constructors' championship: – 6th, 120 points
Drivers' championship: – Gasly: 11th – 62 points / Ocon: 12th – 58 points
NEW SEASON IN BRIEF:
It was a miserable testing for Alpine with Ocon and Gasly were 16th and 17th of the 20 drivers participating on overall times for the three days, the latter admitting “it's not going to be an easy first race” in Bahrain after the team changed everything “except the steering wheel” with the new A524 car.
“We need time. We need to work,” added Gasly. “We know we're starting from the back, which I think we've been quite honest about from the start. We know that there is potential to develop this season and we hope that it will happen as soon as possible.”
Williams
Team principal: James Vowles (GB)
Drivers: Alexander Albon (THAI) and Logan Sargent (USA)
LAST SEASON:
Constructors' championship: – 7th, 28 points
Drivers' championship: – Albon: 13th – 27 points / Sargent: 21st – one point
NEW SEASON IN BRIEF:
The 2023 car displayed plenty of pace in qualifying and straight-line speed but their target this term is to build on the best race finish of seventh claimed by Albon in Montreal and Monza.
“It's a totally different car to understand,” said Albon after testing. “I don't think we are going to hit the ground running but we can hit the ground jogging. There’s some new things that we have to iron out so it’s part of the learning curve, but it’s going well so far.”
RB
Team principal: Laurent Mekies (FRA)
Drivers: Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) and Yuki Tsunoda (JAP)
LAST SEASON:
Constructors' championship: – 8th, 25 points
Drivers' championship: – Ricciardo: 17th – six points / Tsunoda: 14th – 17 points / Nyck de Vries: 22nd – zero points
NEW SEASON IN BRIEF:
The Red Bull-owned team formerly known as Minardi/Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri have now become the magnificently named Visa Cash App RB – or RB short – and will be looking to improve on last season's finish which saw them ditch much-heralded rookie De Vries mid-campaign and replace him with Ricciardo. The Australian then saw his comeback halted by a broken hand following a practice crash at Zandvoort.
There has been talk that RB could be a dark horse for a podium place in Bahrain but Ricciardo was keen to downplay that idea during testing. “I would say we’re still in that midfield fight,” he said. “I know people are getting pretty excited about us, but I’m trying to just bring it back down.”
Sauber
Team principal: Alessandro Alunni Bravi (ITA)
Drivers: Valtteri Bottas (FIN) and Zhou Guanyu (CHI)
LAST SEASON:
Constructors' championship: – 9th, 16 points
Drivers' championship: – Bottas: 15th – 10 points / Guanyu: 18th – six points
NEW SEASON IN BRIEF:
Swiss team originally founded in 1993 by Peter Sauber has undergone an identity makeover for 2024 having raced in recent seasons as Alfa Romeo. Two eighth-place finishes for Bottas in Bahrain and Qatar were the team's best result last year.
And the Finn believes that Sauber have gained significant performance with their new C44 car. “What I’m positive about, I definitely feel improvements compared to last year,” he said. "[It’s] definitely a step forward, but I think everyone has made steps forward. Then it’s the question who made the biggest one.”
Haas
Team principal: Ayao Komatsu (JAP)
Drivers: Kevin Magnussen (DEN) and Nico Hulkenberg (GER)
LAST SEASON:
Constructors' championship: – 10th, 12 points
Drivers' championship: – Magnussen: 19th – three points / Hulkenberg: 16th – nine points
NEW SEASON IN BRIEF:
While all bar one team struggled in various ways last year, none found the going tougher than Haas, despite a fresh and experienced driver pairing of Magnussen and Hulkenberg. The team that joined the grid in 2016 is still searching for their first podium.
“Last year's car was inconsistent, it was quite nasty,” said new boss Komatsu. “Depending on the conditions – tyre condition, wind condition or track temperature – the car really wasn't behaving in a predictable manner. Whereas this year's car is behaving in a predictable manner. It’s consistent.”
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
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
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Command%20Z
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3ESteven%20Soderbergh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMichael%20Cera%2C%20Liev%20Schreiber%2C%20Chloe%20Radcliffe%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A03%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Dubai World Cup Carnival card:
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 | 2,410 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: Handicap (T) | $145,000 | 1,000m
8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
US Industrial Market figures, Q1 2017
Vacancy Rate 5.4%
Markets With Positive Absorption 85.7 per cent
New Supply 55 million sq ft
New Supply to Inventory 0.4 per cent
Under Construction 198.2 million sq ft
(Source: Colliers)
Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Kill%20Bill%20Volume%201
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Quentin%20Tarantino%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Uma%20Thurman%2C%20David%20Carradine%20and%20Michael%20Madsen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
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James Mustich, Workman
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Scoreline
Arsenal 3
Aubameyang (28'), Welbeck (38', 81')
Red cards: El Neny (90' 3)
Southampton 2
Long (17'), Austin (73')
Red cards: Stephens (90' 2)
The five pillars of Islam
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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
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Illegal%20shipments%20intercepted%20in%20Gulf%20region
%3Cp%3EThe%20Royal%20Navy%20raid%20is%20the%20latest%20in%20a%20series%20of%20successful%20interceptions%20of%20drugs%20and%20arms%20in%20the%20Gulf%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%2011%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUS%20coastguard%20recovers%20%2480%20million%20heroin%20haul%20from%20fishing%20vessel%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%208%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20coastguard%20vessel%20USCGC%20Glen%20Harris%20seizes%20heroin%20and%20meth%20worth%20more%20than%20%2430%20million%20from%20a%20fishing%20boat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarch%202%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Anti-tank%20guided%20missiles%20and%20missile%20components%20seized%20by%20HMS%20Lancaster%20from%20a%20small%20boat%20travelling%20from%20Iran%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOctober%209%2C%202022%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERoyal%20Navy%20frigate%20HMS%20Montrose%20recovers%20drugs%20worth%20%2417.8%20million%20from%20a%20dhow%20in%20Arabian%20Sea%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeptember%2027%2C%202022%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20Naval%20Forces%20Central%20Command%20reports%20a%20find%20of%202.4%20tonnes%20of%20heroin%20on%20board%20fishing%20boat%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
