The 2024 Formula One season, which begins this weekend in Bahrain, will be the longest in the sport’s history, with a staggering 24 races scheduled.
A packed season means a short turnaround between successive races, and that raises the chances of burnout for staff and drivers alike. But for F1 fans, it is a bonanza.
Here we take a look at the 2024 season.
Bahrain Grand Prix (Sakhir): March 2
The season begins and ends in the Middle East. The Bahrain race celebrates its 20th anniversary. Lewis Hamilton has won five times in Bahrain, but three-time world champion Max Verstappen triumphed in Sakir last season.
Saudi Arabian GP (Jeddah): March 9
The F1 caravan moves to the kingdom, just as the holy month of Ramadan begins. The Saudi GP was won by Sergio Perez last year – one of only three that Red Bull teammate Verstappen did not win.
Australian GP (Melbourne): March 24
No Australian has won at Albert Park and McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Visa Cash App RB's Daniel Ricciardo are unlikely to end that drought.
Japanese GP (Suzuka): April 7
The race was held in September last year. Red Bull won the constructors' title at Suzuka last year after Verstappen's second straight win in Japan. The home race for Yuki Tsunoda.
Chinese GP (Shanghai): April 21
F1 returns to China after a long gap; the last race there was in 2019 when Hamilton won for Mercedes. China’s ‘zero covid’ policy made it impossible to host races there, but the country is now back on the map. The timing is perfect with Sauber's Guanyu Zhou set to become the first Chinese F1 driver to race in front of his home crowd.
Miami GP: May 5
A crucial juncture in last year’s championship. It was Miami where Verstappen started a run of 10 wins in a row, and stormed to the title. This year, Miami hosts a sprint race for the first time. One of the most glamorous races of the season with an abundance of star power.
Emilia Romagna GP (Imola): May 19
The race was cancelled last year due to flooding. Hopefully, race organisers will have better luck this time.
Monaco GP: May 26
One of the jewels in F1’s crown. Monaco is steeped in history and glamour. Verstappen won last year, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc hoping to become the first home winner this time around.
Canadian GP (Montreal): June 9
A home race for Aston Martin's Lance Stroll. Hamilton will have great memories of Montreal as he picked up his first F1 win there.
Spanish GP (Barcelona): June 23
The start of a European triple-header and the venue where Verstappen recorded his first F1 victory in 2016. Fernando Alonso and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz will be looking to impress the home crowd.
Austrian GP (Spielberg): June 30
Verstappen has won four times here – Red Bull's home race. It is the shortest race in terms of time.
British GP (Silverstone): July 7
The longest running race in the calendar, Silverstone has been part of the roster since 1950. Hamilton will be hoping to make a statement in front of home fans before he moves to Ferrari next year.
Hungarian GP (Budapest): July 21
A supposed happy hunting ground for Hamilton, who has won a record eight times. But that seems a long time back now.
Belgian GP (Spa-Francorchamps): July 28
Lando Norris and Verstappen both have Belgian mothers, making Spa a home race in a way. Verstappen has won there three times in a row.
Dutch GP (Zandvoort): August 25
Verstappen's home race. He has won every year since it returned to the calendar in 2021. Expect overwhelming support for the champion.
Italian GP (Monza): September 1
The iconic track is just outside Milan and hosts Ferrari's home race. Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have five wins each at the circuit.
Azerbaijan GP (Baku): September 15
The 2023 race was won by Perez for the second time in three years – his most recent victory.
Singapore GP: September 22
The only race Red Bull failed to win last year, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz succeeding. The hot and humid night race is one of the season's biggest physical challenges.
United States GP (Austin): October 20
The start of the second triple-header of the year, Austin will again be a sprint race.
Mexican GP (Mexico City): October 27
Verstappen has won five of the last six races in Mexico, and looks like he will continue that impressive form this year.
Brazilian GP (Sao Paulo): November 3
Interlagos is the only circuit to have hosted a sprint every year since 2021.
Las Vegas GP: November 23
The famous Las Vegas strip made its F1 debut last year. However, a loose drain cover wreaked havoc during practice. Hopefully, everything will be sealed shut this time.
Qatar GP (Lusail): December 1
Verstappen secured his championship hat-trick here last year in Saturday’s sprint. Heat unlikely to be an issue this time of the year.
Abu Dhabi GP (Yas Marina): December 8
The season-ending race at Yas marina Circuit. Verstappen defeated Hamilton in stunning fashion on the last lap here in 2021 and has won here for the past four years.
How to watch races in the UAE
You can watch all 24 races live on BeIN Sports. For more information, visit https://www.beinsports.com/.
What is new?
Italy-based AlphaTauri start the season with new management, with closer ties to Red Bull. They have been renamed Visa Cash App RB.
There are no rookie drivers this year, nor changes to the line-up. However, things could change soon.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is under investigation over alleged misconduct toward a team employee. His future is set to be decided this weekend.
Also, a significant number of drivers see their contracts run out after this season. Some major seats are expected to be up for grabs, so expect some interesting negotiations.
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.
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
THE SPECS
Engine: six-litre W12 twin-turbo
Transmission: eight-speed dual clutch auto
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh940,160 (plus VAT)
On sale: Q1 2020
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Mubalada World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
