Going to a Formula One race never gets old. However many circuits you’ve visited, there’s an electricity at race weekend you can’t find anywhere else. The air is thick with anticipation and burning rubber – and if you’re lucky enough to be in the Paddock Club, expensive perfumes too.
In April, I was in Bahrain for the fourth Grand Prix of the season, part of a press pack invited by Louis Vuitton. In the hospitality area, Steven Gerrard sat nearby, while superstar DJ Peggy Gou wafted in, trailed by what must be the world’s most glamorous entourage.
Entertainment is always a big part of the experience, and we have a lot to look forward to in Abu Dhabi at the end of the season, with Metallica, Benson Boone and Katy Perry already set to perform.
In Bahrain, I experienced a series of once-in-a-lifetime moments – from sitting on the pit wall like aspiring team principals, to touring every corner and straight of the island country's track, the first Formula One circuit built in the Middle East two decades ago. According to Emirati FIA President Mohammed ben Sulayem, it “paved the way” for other Gulf countries to follow in Formula One.
I also got up close with Louis Vuitton’s latest Trophy Trunk, its fifth specially crafted piece of the season. Handmade in the maison’s Asnieres atelier, and adorned with its monogram canvas and a bold “V” for both Victory and Vuitton, the trunk nods to the host country as well as the Middle East’s role in global motorsport.
Louis Vuitton’s automotive legacy dates back to 1897, when Georges Vuitton created trunks for the new era of cars, inventing the durable “Vuittonite” to withstand life on the road.
This year, Louis Vuitton also introduced a revamped, race-ready logo, which was prominently displayed on Bahrain’s trackside signage. Brand refreshes are risky, but this one – a kinetic go-fast twist on tradition – looked striking amid the sponsor-heavy circuit.
It’s a clever blend of heritage and futurism that I hope finds its way into the maison’s wider aesthetic.
Louis Vuitton’s relationship with Formula One started with its Trophy Trunk for the Monaco Grand Prix in 2021. It is now the third LVMH brand to sponsor F1, a smart move in a sport with more than 800 million fans worldwide, thanks to cultural phenomena such as Drive to Survive.
Sponsorship here is serious business: Red Bull alone has about 40 partners, and Formula One itself is a branding gold mine. Luxury brands have long understood F1’s cultural pull.
In the 1980s, Tag Heuer’s aggressive placement on McLaren cars made it a household name, while Hugo Boss tailored racing suits for Ayrton Senna’s team. More recently, Tommy Hilfiger, Richard Mille and Off-White have become involved. Even the fictional APX GP team in the upcoming AppleTV+ F1 movie have recognised Formula One as a platform that transcends sport – and scored an enviable number of real-world sponsors in the process.
At the 21st Bahrain Grand Prix, on a circuit that is known for its dusk-lit drama and technical challenges, Oscar Piastri triumphed. Everyone in the paddock and pit lane rushed to the stage as the trophy ceremony began.
I’ve watched moments like this on TV since the 1990s, dreaming as a kid of heroes such as Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill. I never imagined I’d stand this close to this generation’s heroes.
As Piastri, Norris and Russell made their way to the podium, my eyes drifted to the trunk cradling the trophy, emblazoned with the tagline: “Victory Travels in Louis Vuitton”. As far as messaging goes, it’s hard to imagine anything more powerful in one of the world’s most high-stakes spectacles.
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Racecard
6.35pm: The Madjani Stakes – Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.10pm: Evidenza – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m
7.45pm: The Longines Conquest – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,000m
8.20: The Longines Elegant – Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (D)
8.35pm: The Dubai Creek Mile – Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.30pm: Mirdif Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,400m
10.05pm: The Longines Record – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,900m
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')
Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
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The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Day 2, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Pakistan’s effort in the field had hints of shambles about it. The wheels were officially off when Wahab Riaz lost his run up and aborted the delivery four times in a row. He re-measured his run, jogged in for two practice goes. Then, when he was finally ready to go, he bailed out again. It was a total cringefest.
Stat of the day – 139.5 Yasir Shah has bowled 139.5 overs in three innings so far in this Test series. Judged by his returns, the workload has not withered him. He has 14 wickets so far, and became history’s first spinner to take five-wickets in an innings in five consecutive Tests. Not bad for someone whose fitness was in question before the series.
The verdict Stranger things have happened, but it is going to take something extraordinary for Pakistan to keep their undefeated record in Test series in the UAE in tact from this position. At least Shan Masood and Sami Aslam have made a positive start to the salvage effort.
