Red Bull's Max Verstappen has his fourth Formula One title within reach after a stunning drive to victory from 17th on the grid in Brazil on Sunday dealt a shattering blow to Lando Norris' hopes.
Norris, who started the wet and chaotic Sao Paulo race on pole position and 44 points behind Verstappen, finished sixth for McLaren.
The title gap blew out to 62 points with three rounds remaining and 86 points still to be won.
What does Verstappen's win mean for Abu Dhabi?
The 2024 season concludes on December 8 with the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit.
Race fans still hold hope that the race will go down to the wire, though Verstappen's victory at Interlagos has made the window for Norris much smaller.
If results go his way, Verstappen could hit the championship jackpot in the next race down the floodlit Las Vegas Strip on November 24.
To clinch a fourth successive drivers' title, Verstappen simply needs to finish ahead of Norris at the next race in Las Vegas.
Outside of outright victory, Verstappen will automatically take the title if Norris doesn’t outscore him by at least three points in Vegas – while even if Verstappen fails to score, Norris would still need to finish at least 8th or 9th with a fastest lap point.
What does Norris need to do?
Norris will aim to take his challenge all the way to the final two rounds in the Middle East, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
The Briton's best hope would be to take the chequered flag in Vegas and see his Red Bull rival fails to finish.
If the opposite were to happen, it would effectively signal the end of Norris' title bid.
Verstappen has only failed to finish once in the last 69 races, a brake failure prematurely ending his race at this year's Australian GP.
Norris last failed to finish a race in June at the Austrian GP when a collision with his Red Bull rival when fighting over the race lead rendered the car undrivable.
Victories in the three remaining races now has to be Norris' main aim, and hope that Verstappen fails to cross the line in a couple as well.
Is anyone else in contention?
Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri are no longer in the running for the drivers’ title post-Sao Paulo.
Leclerc is currently 86 points adrift of Verstappen in third, with 86 points left available. In the unlikely event that Leclerc won every race, took all the bonus points and won the Sprint in Qatar, and Verstappen failed to score again, the duo would tie at the end of the season, but Verstappen would win based on victory count.
As for Piastri, he is now 131 points behind Verstappen after a disappointing race in Brazil, so can no longer take the title.
A more realistic target for Ferrari driver Leclerc – an impressive winner in the USA and third in Mexico – would be tracking down Norris for second. The Monegasque driver sits 24 points behind Norris.
Conclusion
Verstappen's win in Brazil means it is highly unlikely, though not impossible, we will get a championship decider in Abu Dhabi.
Yas Marina Circuit was the setting of the most dramatic finish in F1 history in 2021.
Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen arrived in the UAE locked on 369.5 points apiece ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP, an epic winner-takes-all title decider that had fans gripped.
Up until a late safety car stoppage, Mercedes' Hamilton looked set to claim his eighth world title with ease, but that all changed on Lap 53 when Nicholas Latifi crashed at corner 14 which brought out a very late safety car on lap 53.
Verstappen pitted onto new soft tyres whilst Hamilton stayed out on the hards, assuming that it would be enough to cross the line in the lead to seal his eighth world title. Instead, the FIA had other ideas and even though lapped cars stayed in position to begin with, five of the seven were allowed to eventually pass Hamilton, which put Verstappen right behind him.
With one lap to go, the safety car then came into the pits. On his much newer tyres, Verstappen cruised past Hamilton to take the first of his three world drivers' championship titles.
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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.
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Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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Summer special
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Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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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
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap (rated 72-87) Dh 165,000 1,600m.
Winner: Syncopation, George Buckell, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Big Brown Bear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,200m.
Winner: Stunned, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap (85-105) Dh 210,000 2,000m.
Winner: New Trails, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
9.25pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,600m.
Winner: Pillar Of Society, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
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If you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.
The hotels
Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes.
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Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
Tomorrow 2021
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If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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
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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.
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New Zealand 57-0 South Africa
Tries: Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder (2), Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Ofa Tu'ungfasi, Lima Sopoaga, Codie Taylor. Conversions: Beauden Barrett (7). Penalty: Beauden Barrett
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
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Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
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Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
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Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
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- Faisalabad, Pakistan
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