Live updates: Follow the latest on the 2024 Abu Dhabi F1
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner continued the verbal battle with Mercedes chief Toto Wolff on Friday, further escalating tensions between the two teams in what is turning into an explosive end to the season.
Red Bull's quadruple champion Max Verstappen and Mercedes driver George Russell have been locked in a war of words since the Qatar Grand Prix, with accusations of bullying and lying. Russell even said Verstappen had threatened to deliberately crash into him during the ill-tempered Qatar race.
While Verstappen has already clinched the drivers' championship, the constructors' race is still on. Another fight raged on off the track, with Wolff calling Horner a "yapping little terrier".
On Friday, it was the turn of the Red Bull chief to hit back at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Horner, who remained sanguine and good-humoured during the presser, said: “I love terriers, I think they are great dogs.
“I had four of them and a couple of Airedales, which is the king of the terriers.”
He then added: To be called a terrier, is that such a bad thing? They are not afraid of having a go at the bigger dogs. I'd rather be a terrier than a wolf maybe.”
The row started after Verstappen castigated Russell for what the Dutch driver felt was the Mercedes man’s involvement in aggravating an incident that occurred in Qatar.
The Red Bull driver, who secured his ultimate victory in this year’s championship following the race in Las Vegas, repeated his criticisms in Abu Dhabi, provoking his British rival into claiming Verstappen was making unwarranted personal attacks and threats.
Wolff initially said he wasn’t going to get involved in any row between drivers, but after the Red Bull head said he thought Russell acted in “hysterics” over the penalty, the Mercedes team principal did just that, with gusto, comparing Horner to a terrier.
There had been some conjecture among the F1 commentators at Yas this weekend about the likelihood of the driver spat spilling onto the track.
When asked about this, Horner said: “No, not at all.
“Max, he’s a very straight shooter, he just tells you exactly how he sees it. He tells the truth exactly, what he feels.”
Horner admitted Verstappen obviously felt frustrated by what had happened but considered to have had a positive effect.
“The way things played out in a scenario that we haven’t seen before and subsequent grid penalty, he [Verstappen] turned it into motivation and made a lightning start, led the race into the first corner, and won the Grand Prix, which is the best possible response.
“Now, obviously, a lot’s been made of it yesterday. It is pantomime season, we’re getting ready for Christmas.
“So there’s maybe an element of end-of-term blues there, but I don’t think it’ll have any effect.”
Horner referred to Wolff as being “quite dramatic”, misconstruing the Red Bull head’s remarks about Russell’s so-called hysterics.
“We know Toto likes to talk a lot, but that’s the way it is,” he said.
“I think, for us, we just want to finish the season on a high, have a great race, see these guys battle it out, and hopefully everybody can have a well-earned rest after this race.”
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Fixtures
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CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
