ABU DHABI // There is something different about the Yas Marina Circuit.
That has been the overwhelming reaction from the Formula One drivers, race teams and fans who have experienced the new track for the first time this weekend.
And while the spectacular setting of Yas Island is the most obvious distinguishing factor, there are many other things that make Abu Dhabi's circuit different from others on the F1 calendar.
In a sport known for its science and technology innovations by F1 engineers have revolutionised the motoring industry now the facility itself is in a position to change the future of racing circuits.
Nick Fry, the chief executive of the championship winners Brawn GP, said the differences between this and other circuits were simple but important to racing teams space, quality and organisation.
"All these things, to varying degrees, are what other circuits are lacking," he said.
Teams will also enjoy special technological touches, such as the "air wall" that blasts over the entrance of each garage and blocks warm air and dust from interfering with the fragile technology inside. No other F1 track has such a device.
But the real star is the circuit itself, which stands out for its unique design and the spectacular views it affords race fans.
Certainly no other Formula One track blasts through the middle of a luxury hotel, or sends its drivers through a tunnel as they leave the pits to come back on to the circuit. There is also a tricky, tight chicane with a special feature of its own.
What fans will appreciate most, however, is how close they are to the action.
The location of each grandstand was chosen to give the best views of any Formula One venue. At least 30 per cent of the track can be seen from every seat on the circuit unprecedented in F1 circles.
All seats are covered, another first.
"We tried everything to bring the spectators closer to the cars," said Hermann Tilke, the man who developed the first designs for the circuit.
"With Formula One, you have to feel everything not just see it, but you have to hear it and smell it.
"It is very important that the people are close to the track and can see the actions of the drivers behind the wheel."
The 50,000 fans sitting in the stands today could do worse than thank Mr Tilke, the man to whom Bernie Ecclestone, who owns the commercial rights to F1, turns whenever a country is seeking to join the exclusive club of the sport's hosts.
Mr Tilke, a bespectacled German prone to using complicated hand gestures to explain overtaking manoeuvres, is the creative mind behind the Yas circuit and those in Bahrain, Malaysia and Turkey, among others.
He is reluctant to claim credit for every detail on Yas. Much of the concept, he said, came from a combination of Mr Ecclestone and Khaldoon al Mubarak, the chairman of the Yas Marina Circuit.
One thing is certain, though: the first sketches of what eventually became the Yas circuit came from Mr Tilke's hand.
Every grandstand has "something that is special", he said, whether it is a view of the pit lane entering a tunnel near the main grandstand, or the view of the marina from the south grandstand.
The seed from which Yas grew was sown four years ago, he said, when the proposal for Ferrari World and a racing facility was first mooted.
"After some time, we had to change everything because it was decided we would get the F1," he said.
While the Yas circuit has been touted as a blank canvas for all those involved, Mr Tilke said there remained limitations on such a project.
"You are never really free. You have the land, the surroundings and you have the budget," he said.
The lack of other developments on the island did allow for a certain amount of flexibility, however.
The marina was at first planned for another part of the island before being moved to incorporate it into the circuit. And the Yas Hotel gradually developed more significance to the project over time.
"It wasn't one particular idea, it was something that developed," Mr Tilke said.
"It was always planned to have a hotel in the middle, but then the hotel was too small, they wanted more rooms.
"But we couldn't go any higher because of the restrictions with the airport. So we had the idea to make another block of the hotel in the water. Then we thought we could make the track go through it, and then we thought about the roof between the two buildings.
"It just happened."
The circuit passes through the two dividing sections of the hotel, and underneath a bridge, from which about 250 of the most important of VIPs will watch the race today.
"We were asked to deliver something different and exciting," said Paul Bell, the managing director of Aldar Hotels and Hospitality, which manages the hotel. "So this is what we came up with."
The bridge was transported from Europe by barge and assembled in segments while work on the track went on five-and-a-half metres below.
"It had to be done very carefully because nothing could get in the way of the track," Mr Bell said.
"It was a big logistical piece that was one of the most difficult logistical pieces for [the developer] Aldar."
Another first was confirmed some time ago. Abu Dhabi will be the first Grand Prix to start in daytime and end at night, and that decision prompted organisers to undergo what Mr Tilke called "very detailed work" on how such a proposal would affect the race.
The solution was the most sophisticated lighting system in F1.
There are more than 400 lighting towers. The taller ones, up to 40 metres high, spread light horizontally and the smaller ones shine vertically, removing glare and shadow.
They will all be switched on at the start of the race, which means drivers can use the daytime visors on their helmets throughout the race instead of having to change to night visors.
One of Mr Tilke's proudest features on the Yas Marina Circuit is one that will be seen by few spectators but felt by all the drivers.
Shortly after the cars pass by the West Grandstand, they will veer right and then left in a narrow chicane. The camber in the track is the opposite of almost every other chicane on the calendar.
"If you accelerate too hard, you can go over it," Tilke said. "It is very easy to make a mistake, and I have seen it a lot this weekend. You can't even make a small mistake."
@Email:rhughes@thenational.ae
LOVE%20AGAIN
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Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.
54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.
Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World by Michael Ignatieff
Harvard University Press
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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.
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Company%20Profile
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PFA Premier League team of 2018-19
Allison (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Griselda
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Maestro
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The%20specs%20
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2a)
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
SPECS
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
