The duel for the drivers’ championship takes centre stage this weekend at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but it is not just an important weekend for title protagonists Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
Only four of the 10 teams racing this weekend in Abu Dhabi have named their complete driver line-ups for 2015 and several deals are expected to be announced over the weekend in the capital or during next week’s post-season testing sessions at Yas Marina Circuit.
Here is a look at what the situation is at each of the teams.
Mercedes-GP
Rosberg and Hamilton are both staying with the constructors’ champions next year.
Rosberg signed a new deal, reported to be for three years, while Hamilton is set to begin negotiations over a new deal with Mercedes next week, with his current agreement expiring at the end of 2015.
Red Bull Racing
It is the end of an era this weekend as Sebastian Vettel leaves the Austrian team after six years, in which the German won four titles. He will be replaced as Daniel Ricciardo’s partner by Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat. Ricciardo has had an impressive first year with Red Bull, his three wins making him the only non-Mercedes driver to win a race in 2014.
Williams
The most improved team of 2014 will be looking for more of the same next year after they maintained their status quo by retaining Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa. Victories will be the goal in 2015 having scored seven podium finishes this season.
Ferrari
There have been no official announcements from the Italian team, but Vettel is set to join next year from Red Bull, as a replacement for Fernando Alonso, who joined Ferrari in 2010. The delay in confirmation is believed to be because of protracted negotiations to do with the financial terms of a settlement between Alonso and Ferrari as his contract ends.
Vettel is set to be paired with 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, who will remain with the team despite a disappointing campaign that has left him only 12th in the drivers’ standings.
McLaren-Mercedes
The team with the biggest questions still to be answered.
Alonso is expected to move to McLaren from Ferrari for 2015, when they will move from Mercedes engine power to Honda, though negotiations with the Spaniard’s current employers have delayed confirmation of his plans for next year.
With the arrival of Alonso, who raced for the team previously in 2007, it means one of this year’s drivers – Jenson Button, below, or Kevin Magnussen – will lose their race seat.
Button, the 2009 world champion, has scored more points, but Magnussen has shown impressive raw pace in his rookie year, particularly in qualifying, even if that has not always translated itself into good results on race day.
Force India
Nico Hulkenberg has already been confirmed as staying with Vijay Mallya’s squad next year.
Teammate Sergio Perez is also expected to sign a new deal, though that has yet to be announced.
Toro Rosso
In September their line-up looked set with 17-year-old Max Verstappen coming in to replace Jean-Eric Vergne, above, to race alongside Kvyat.
But Vettel’s departure from Red Bull saw Kvyat drafted in to replace the German, leaving a void at Toro Rosso.
Vergne, who had looked likely to drop out of F1, is now favourite to remain with the team to partner Verstappen, who will become the youngest driver to compete in the history of F1, though they could still plump for another Red Bull youngster after Carlos Sainz Jr won the Formula 3.5 series this year.
Lotus
A tough year for the team, who will move from Renault to Mercedes power next season as they look to return to the front end of the grid.
They will do so with the same drivers, Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado, who have toiled through an uncompetitive campaign this year, with only three finishes in the top 10.
Sauber
The Swiss team are at present the only team making a complete change in line-up with Marcus Ericsson moving to the team from Caterham, while Brazilian Felipe Nasr steps up from GP2, where he will race this weekend as he looks to seal the runner-up spot in the championship.
Adrian Sutil said he believed he had a contract with the team to race next year, but faces Sunday being his last F1 race. Esteban Gutierrez, meanwhile, looks like he will be off the grid in 2015.
Caterham
There are huge doubts on whether the cash-strapped team will make the grid in 2015, with only donations from the public and investors helping them make it to Abu Dhabi after they missed the races in the United States and Brazil.
Ericsson will definitely not be racing for them after switching to Sauber and thoughts about drivers will almost certainly be in the background until the future of the team can be secured.
Marussia
They went out of business this month, but the remnants of the team in their original naming, Manor Racing, may live on under that guise, or another, if investment can be found.
Driver Jules Bianchi remains in a stable, but critical condition in hospital after receiving severe head injuries in a crash in the Japanese Grand Prix in October.
Max Chilton, who had raced alongside Bianchi the past two seasons, has been linked with racing for Caterham this weekend as the Briton bids to remain in F1.
gcaygill@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
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.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20ASI%20(formerly%20DigestAI)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Quddus%20Pativada%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Artificial%20intelligence%2C%20education%20technology%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%243%20million-plus%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GSV%20Ventures%2C%20Character%2C%20Mark%20Cuban%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
I Care A Lot
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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
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
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Match statistics
Dubai Sports City Eagles 8 Dubai Exiles 85
Eagles
Try: Bailey
Pen: Carey
Exiles
Tries: Botes 3, Sackmann 2, Fourie 2, Penalty, Walsh, Gairn, Crossley, Stubbs
Cons: Gerber 7
Pens: Gerber 3
Man of the match: Tomas Sackmann (Exiles)
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
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
- La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
- Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
