LEWIS HAMILTON has cruised to one championship after another saying he would love to have stronger competition.
And I have always believed, being the racer he is, the words come from the heart.
Well, what is it they say about being careful what you wish for? Now he has got it.
This year Max Verstappen has lived up to the hype and proving he is unwilling to wait for the 36-year-old Brit to hang up his boots before he takes over at the top of the sport.
Just 23 years old, he has won one Grand Prix in 2021 and finished second in the other two.
He is in the form of his life and at the wheel of the best car he has ever had - arguably the best in F1 - as the drivers prepare for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona this weekend.
Hamilton, similarly, at 36 may have seven world championships to his name but he is rising to the challenge for the chance of number eight.
But he is having to dig deep into his well of raw natural speed as well as draw on the one significant advantage he has over the Dutchman – experience.
There is something almost mystical about the way he can coax the best out of his tortured tyres.
But they key to glory is winning the war, not just the odd battle.
Portugal last Sunday was more proof, if it were needed, Hamilton is one of the greats – winning again when the odds where against him.
In a championship where fractions will decide everything Verstappen’s chances were quite literally blown off course in freak circumstances.
The Dutchman had the speed for pole by at least a third of a second, maybe even more.
But F1 cars are sensationally fluid beasts. I’ve been driven around Abu Dhabi by Bruno Senna (Ayrton’s nephew) and Donington by Mark Webber in F1 two-seaters and driven one myself.
How to describe a feeling that is like nothing on earth? Taking a charging racer to the very limit of its capability, balanced just fractions from disaster, front and back continually pivoting around its centre of gravity as the driver probes the limits.
Verstappen’s best run was wrecked by a gust of wind as he crested a rise. Blown fractionally off course at 160mph he corrected instantly but was taken only a matter of a couple of feet outside track limits and his best lap was wiped.
Hamilton was outdone as Valtteri Bottas grabbed pole by 0.007s. The blink of an eye takes longer, 0.013. A gear change far more.
And the race itself was decided by more mistakes: Hamilton was caught looking in his mirrors when Bottas bolted at the restart, Verstappen later fumbled the final bend decisively and then overran his flying lap. Bottas was rarely in it.
It was clear in Portugal that, given the chance, Hamilton could easily use the ‘tow’ and DRS to pass Verstappen but the reverse was not true.
Is that a because of clever design and set-up or a fortunate by-product of sticking with the low rake concept? It’s difficult to believe that the seven-times champions have lucked-into that kind of decisive advantage. Another key battleground won by Mercedes or an irrelevant anomaly?
But a wider theme is rushing to a head in the summer. Bottas has already blown his last chance at Mercedes, who must be admired for their loyalty to the friendly Finn over five mediocre years.
Hamilton’s win ratio says it all. Five times more than Bottas in the same car. With the increasing competitiveness of their rivals, Mercedes cannot afford to wait to wait until the end of the year, as they did last year, for the world champion to make a decision on 2022 which will be raced under radically changed rules.
It would only make sense to keep Bottas if Hamilton leaves and last week the champion went on record saying he will not retire.
And Red Bull have upped the ante by nicking Ben Hodgkinson, one of Mercedes’ key engine boffins with a head full of their deepest secrets, to run their new powertrain division as Honda depart.
Hamilton will be hard to beat in the drivers championship, of course, but Mercedes are more interested in the constructors series and a top class No 2 is even more crucial there, especially as their rivals appeared to have finally found a competitive No 2 in Sergio Perez.
Red Bull’s £300m commitment to an on-site engine programme (the only one outside Ferrari) is a clear indicator they are determined not just to win a world championship but steal a march on Mercedes as F1 kingpins. Permanently.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Profile box
Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The Byblos iftar in numbers
29 or 30 days – the number of iftar services held during the holy month
50 staff members required to prepare an iftar
200 to 350 the number of people served iftar nightly
160 litres of the traditional Ramadan drink, jalab, is served in total
500 litres of soup is served during the holy month
200 kilograms of meat is used for various dishes
350 kilograms of onion is used in dishes
5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
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
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
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