Japan’s Suzuka might be one of the world's most famous tracks but it disappointed in the entertainment stakes on Sunday, with the top six on the grid finishing as they had started.
The difficulty in overtaking led to a dull race – but not one without consequence – as we learnt more about the drivers, teams and cars, with the 2025 season beginning to take shape. Here are the main talking points from the weekend.
Verstappen reminds us he is a generational talent
Sport has the capacity to take your breath away and Max Verstappen’s drive in qualifying to secure pole position was truly something special.
He has his critics, but Verstappen clinched pole and converted that to first place in the race on Sunday much to the delight of Red Bull.
“I think there is no other driver at the moment that can drive a car and put it so high, or higher than the car deserves,” said veteran Fernando Alonso of Verstappen. “I think it was a magical moment for everyone here.”
When one of the greatest drivers on the grid speaks so highly of a colleague, then people should listen.
This RB-21 is by no means perfect. Red Bull have struggled to find the right second driver because the car is reportedly hard to drive. It is said to be designed with Verstappen’s preferences in mind, and the manner in which he can bend the machinery to his will deserves praise.
Having enjoyed one of the best weekends of his career, including one of, if not the best, qualifying drives of his life, Verstappen now sits just one point behind Lando Norris in the drivers’ championship. He not only managed his tyres to perfection but skilfully batted his challengers away, beating Norris by 1.4 seconds.
The first to win at Suzuka for a fourth time in a row, Verstappen continues to be a driver admired and feared in equal measure.
McLaren play it safe and bank points
Given the challenges of overtaking at Suzuka, it made qualifying all the more important. With Verstappen managing a perfect qualifier, the McLarens started behind his Red Bull on the grid.
Despite only narrowly losing out on Sunday, Norris, who finished in second, never managed to get within DRS range to apply pressure to the Red Bull.
Considering the speed of their car, McLaren’s strategy was questioned. Andrea Stella, the team principal, gave his reasons as to why they didn’t attempt an undercut or leave Norris out for longer to have fresher tyres for the latter part of the race.
They decided upon their strategy and accepted the outcome due to the difficulty in overtaking. However, you cannot help but wonder if they missed a trick and the opportunity to claim three wins in a row.
“The race was won yesterday [in qualifying] in hindsight, and I guess we always kind of know the better position you start, the more chance you have of winning,” said Norris.
Hadjar has serious potential
Isack Hadjar served notice of his ability as he finished eighth to secure four points for his team and his first points of the season.
When Lewis Hamilton’s father, Anthony, referred to Hadjar in glowing terms despite him spinning out of his first race in Australia, you could have been forgiven for thinking Hamilton Senior was exaggerating the French-Algerian's skill.
“I think he’s a phenomenal driver, I really do. There’s more to come from Isack than we probably have seen this weekend,” said Hamilton after the opening round of the season. Hadjar is slowly proving that he is on to something.
Despite struggling with his seat belt in qualifying, leaving him frustrated, he still managed to claim P7 ahead of Lewis Hamilton in his Ferrari. On Sunday he extracted as much as possible from his car to finish in P8, this time just behind Hamilton.
His performances have been steadily improving and his display in Suzuka has already sparked debate as to whether he deserves the second seat at Red Bull. Would anyone really put it past Christian Horner to pull off another swap?
Tsunoda only manages P12
Considering the difficulties that Red Bull’s second drivers have faced, asking Yuki Tsunoda to get close to his teammate Verstappen was always going to be a tall order. The Japanese driver, who replaced Liam Lawson after just two races, was hoping to finish in the points in his home race but only managed P12, improving on his P14 start by two positions.
It’s a little distasteful how many pundits and critics are already speculating when Tsunoda will be sacked, such is the ruthless nature of this team, and the pressure applied on the drivers. However, despite Tsunoda making a mistake in qualifying – leading to his Q2 elimination on his final hot lap – he displayed enough pace to keep everyone believing in his potential.
“It was pretty frustrating, but at the same time, I feel like I’ve learnt a lot of things in the 53 laps,” said Tsunoda. “I learnt more than anything, so I’m positive about that. I’m excited for the next one but, at the same time, [this was] a home Grand Prix. It’s once in a year, so it was a bit tough.”
The Bahrain race next week should tell us more about how Tsunoda will settle into one of the toughest seats on the grid.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Getting%20there
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Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
CREW
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERajesh%20A%20Krishnan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETabu%2C%20Kareena%20Kapoor%20Khan%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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