Considered the fastest street circuit in the F1 calendar, the Jeddah Corniche delivered the most exciting race of the season so far in hot and humid conditions on Sunday.
The ultra-fast track makes the Saudi Arabian GP one of the toughest for the drivers, as evidenced on the opening lap, with debate raging as to how Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen navigated the first corner. Here are the key talking points from what was a fantastic race.
Piastri's hot form
An assured race by McLaren's Piastri secured his second consecutive win, making him the first Australian to lead the championship since Mark Webber in 2010.
His unwavering confidence under pressure and ability to maintain focus demonstrated why Piastri possesses all the qualities to be an F1 champion. Having won three out of the first five races, he now sits 10 points ahead of teammate Lando Norris in the drivers' standings.
Piastri can be proud of how quick he was off the line, battling pole sitter Max Verstappen into the first corner to take the apex. The Dutchman subsequently went off track and gained "a lasting advantage that was not given back" according to a statement given by the FIA, resulting in a five-second penalty.
Piastri capitalised and admitted: "Once I got on the inside, I wasn't coming out of Turn One in second. I tried my best and obviously the stewards had to get involved, but I thought I was far enough and in the end that's what got me the race.”
Verstappen did everything to push his car to the limits to cover for the penalty but a remarkably comfortable drive from Piastri, who handles the fastest car on the grid with such ease, meant the Red Bull driver had to console himself with second place.
Norris, meanwhile, drove a great recovery race to finish fourth. It was a challenging weekend for the Briton who crashed at the start of Q3 in qualifying causing significant damage to his car. When a driver is battling with low confidence, mistakes are to be expected, and Norris admitted he is looking forward to a chance to reset.
“I’m happy with my comeback. It’s the best that I could achieve and now I’m looking forward to a break,” he said.
Verstappen punished but shows pace
The four-time world champion pipped Piastri by 0.01 seconds to snatch pole position in an exciting qualifying session on Saturday. Unfortunately for Red Bull, a slow launch saw Piastri immediately challenge him on the first corner in the race on Sunday.
Verstappen clearly did not agree with the stewards' reading of the situation and the five-second penalty he incurred.
"The problem is that I cannot share my opinion about it because I might get penalised," Verstappen said. "So it's better not to speak about it.
"I think it's better not to talk about it. Anything I say or try to say about it, it might get me in trouble."
Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, suggested that they opted to risk the penalty rather than give up the place to avoid the threat of George Russell in the Mercedes.
"If we had given it up, we would have run in the dirty air and then would have been at risk with George," Horner explained. "So, the best thing to do was, at that point, we got the penalty, get your head down, keep going."
Once again, Verstappen impressed at a high-speed circuit, much like he did when he won at Suzuka. "The positives are that, of course, in the race, we had quite good pace,” said Verstappen, who finished just 2.8 seconds behind the McLaren.
Leclerc claims podium but should we worry about Hamilton?
Charles Leclerc was scathing in his assessment of his Ferrari after qualifying, unimpressed with the car’s grip and lack of performance. Promised upgrades had seemingly failed to deliver in a weekend that was supposed to mark a turnaround for last year's constructors' championship runners-up.
However, much to Leclerc's surprise he ended up third for a first podium of the season.
“I think we maximised absolutely everything, so I’m very proud of what we’ve done. Now we just need to improve the car in order to be fighting a bit further up,” he said.
Meanwhile, teammate Lewis Hamilton admitted to not feeling comfortable in his Ferrari.
“Clearly the car is capable of being P3. Charles did a great job today so I can’t blame the car," said the British driver.
It's difficult to find reasons for optimism right now. After Bahrain, Hamilton insisted he had learnt a lot, giving hope that he would continue to progress. However, the Saudi Arabian GP has raised more questions than answers, with him suffering in qualifying and in the race, finishing 29 seconds behind his teammate.
Best yet from Sainz
Carlos Sainz endured a difficult start to the year as he attempted to get to grips with his Williams car but enjoyed a stellar weekend in Jeddah.
Despite being forced to retire from the Bahrain GP after colliding with Yuki Tsunoda, Sainz had showed improved pace and appeared confident in Saudi. The quickest driver among the midfield teams during qualifying, he secured sixth place on the grid, making it his best starting position of the season so far. That translated to an excellent eighth place on race day, ahead of his teammate Alex Albon.
Ever the company man, Sainz protected Albon from the threat of Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar, bringing him into his DRS window.
“Towards the end of the race the team identified that Hadjar was going to be a threat for Alex, so with 12-13 laps to go I was asked to give him DRS,” explained Sainz.
“It wasn’t easy, as in this track, with three DRS zones, the slightest of mistakes can be very costly. However, we managed it perfectly and secured an important double points finish for the team. I’m very happy after putting together a good weekend and I can’t wait for Miami."
The Laughing Apple
Yusuf/Cat Stevens
(Verve Decca Crossover)
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Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
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Scorecard:
England 458 & 119/1 (51.0 ov)
South Africa 361
England lead by 216 runs with 9 wickets remaining
Final scores
18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)
- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)
-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)
-11: David Lipsky (USA), Marc Warren (SCO)
-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Naga
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
SPECS
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
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Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m, Winner: ES Rubban, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Al Mobher, Sczcepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: Jabalini, Tadhg O’Shea, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: AF Abahe, Tadgh O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Makerah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Law Of Peace, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
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In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
