Bernd Maylander stands beside the safety car at Yas circuit. Courtesy Yas Marina Circuit
Bernd Maylander stands beside the safety car at Yas circuit. Courtesy Yas Marina Circuit
Bernd Maylander stands beside the safety car at Yas circuit. Courtesy Yas Marina Circuit
Bernd Maylander stands beside the safety car at Yas circuit. Courtesy Yas Marina Circuit

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Behind the wheel with the safety car driver


Simon Wilgress-Pipe
  • English
  • Arabic

Not all the drivers participating in this year’s Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix are here for the silverware.

While the teams concentrate on the race, Bernd Maylander has wider concerns. The German is the safety car driver at the event, and the role he and his team play is crucial. If an incident takes place that blocks the track, or leaves debris that is likely to be a danger to racers, the safety car will be deployed to slow the drivers down until the marshals have performed a clean-up operation.

This is Maylander’s 21st year in Formula 1 but, despite his longevity in the job, he always experiences an adrenaline rush as the race approaches, particularly as he and his colleagues have a vital job to perform even before the action begins.

They must always carry out a series of checks to ensure both their own car – a Mercedes-AMG GT R – and the track are in optimum condition for what lies ahead. They inform race control of any adverse conditions around the circuit, such as unusually slippery surfaces, that could prove problematic to drivers.

There are two safety cars and two medical cars in the set up, and the team has its own mechanics.

Maylander is fond of the Abu Dhabi F1 event, saying: “It’s a nice place to finish the season and that’s why we always love to go to Yas Marina Circuit.”

The driver enjoyed a motorsport career prior to his safety car duties, driving for the likes of Formula Ford and Porsche.

Like many involved in the sport, he has found the season challenging, largely due to the ongoing pandemic.

“It’s been a tough second half of the year and the most important thing after Abu Dhabi is to get back to the family and prepare for Christmas,” he said.

________________

Vigilant pandemic prep under way at Yas Marina Circuit

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  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
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David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

Arsenal's pre-season fixtures

Thursday Beat Sydney 2-0 in Sydney

Saturday v Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney

Wednesday v Bayern Munich in Shanghai

July 22 v Chelsea in Beijing

July 29 v Benfica in London

July 30 v Sevilla in London

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There are 139,018 global trace requests that have not been resolved yet, 55,672 of these are in the Middle East region.

 

More than 540,000 individuals approached the ICRC in the Middle East asking to be reunited with missing loved ones in 2018.

 

The total figure for the entire world was 654,000 in 2018.

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
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THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

Ireland (15-1):

Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy

Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour

Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)

Long read

Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response

RACE RESULTS

1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012 
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps

WandaVision

Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany

Directed by: Matt Shakman

Rating: Four stars

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