Thani al Qamzi failed to register a point until the seventh race of last season's UIM Formula 1 World Championship.
It has been a different story this year, though, for the speedy Emirati and his Team Abu Dhabi companion Ahmad al Hameli.
He leads the series with 29 points from Al Hameli (20) in the new format of back-to-back championship events at the same venue, both having won races in the opening round.
Al Qamzi claimed third place in the penultimate race in Abu Dhabi last year and followed it up with a superb win in Sharjah to finish eighth in the championship standings, but he has loftier targets this time round.
The Abu Dhabi duo go into tomorrow's two-day Finnish Grand Prix after a 10-day training camp in Italy.
Al Qamzi has been encouraged by his Mercury-engine DAC. He said: "We raced for a similar distance and time scale as we do in the actual races. We tested under different weather conditions and at varying speeds."
He added: "The new points system worked in our favour in Portugal and I was able to collect maximum points from the second race.
"It gives you a better chance to score more points.
"It takes more physical and psychological effort to take part in two races over the weekend, but I enjoyed the experience last time out."
The Finnish stage has a history of providing different winners in the five years since the first race was staged there in 1998.
Al Qamzi and al Hameli are not among the previous winners. They may feel history is not on their side.
But the two Emirati drivers have got off to flying starts this season, with Al Hameli winning the first race in Portugal and Al Qamzi improving from fourth to take the following day's race in the opening round.
apassela@thenational.ae
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
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
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
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
MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Playing records of the top 10 in 2017
How many games the top 10 have undertaken in the 2017 ATP season
1. Rafael Nadal 58 (49-9)
2. Andy Murray 35 (25-10)
3. Roger Federer 38 (35-3)
4. Stan Wawrinka 37 (26-11)
5. Novak Djokovic 40 (32-8)
6. Alexander Zverev 60 (46-14)
7. Marin Cilic 43 (29-14)
8. Dominic Thiem 60 (41-19)
9. Grigor Dimitrov 48 (34-14)
10. Kei Nishikori 43 (30-13)
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
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