A new Formula One season kicks off in Bahrain this weekend hoping sweeping rule changes will trigger an explosive new chapter in the sport’s history to blow away the controversy of last year's title decider in Abu Dhabi.
Make no mistake bitterness still lingers over the events last December, certainly deep within Lewis Hamilton and, perhaps even more passionately among his legion of followers.
But F1 is trying to move on. And almost everywhere you look there is change: from dramatic new regulations offering closer racing to a new champion in Max Verstappen and an old one in Hamilton himself surely hell bent on righting a wrong.
Then there’s promise of a Ferrari revival, the legendary Fernando Alonso trying to lead Renault Alpine out of the wilderness and Australian Daniel Ricciardo returning from a bout of Covid. That’s without mentioning ditched Russians and the sport’s new race management with football style video refereeing in use for the first time.
Of course the final hurdles are yet to be leapt so the mourning of Hamilton can finally be laid to rest. That should come with the full FIA report into events on that dramatic day at Yas Marina Circuit in December due to be released on Friday.
But nothing has been so indicative of the dramatic winds of change howling through the sport as the sight of the champion’s No 1 on Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Team boss Christian Horner says just the sight of the single digit on the car’s engine cover has “energised” his British operation.
Verstappen, 24, returns to action having stolen another significant piece of Hamilton real estate over the winter – the honour of being the best paid driver in F1. He penned a gargantuan £220 million deal this month to keep him at Red Bull until 2028.
And it feels like a watershed moment just to be starting a season without a Mercedes champion. One which may start on a dull note for Toto Wolff’s team as Hamilton admitted his race machine lags behind both Red Bull and Ferrari, describing the young Dutchman’s car as “ridiculously fast”. Of course, this is the driver who regularly radios “My tyres are worn out” just before setting the fastest race lap.
Hamilton has a well-earned black belt in kidology but his Mercedes car has been visibly skittish and hard to control in pre-season testing.
Mercedes are one of the highest profile victims of F1’s new malaise (and buzz word), ‘porpoising’, which causes violent juddering at speeds over 250kph.
Almost every team on the grid is suffering to some degree and engineers are sure to be battling right up to Sunday’s first race for a solution that will not affect lap times too dramatically.
Among the wide-reaching new changes are bigger, low profile, tyres from Pirelli promising more grip and more durability in an attempt to end the curse of drivers cruising to make it to the finish. Cars are 42kgs heavier and have bigger brakes, as well as much altered aerodynamics with ground effect.
Testing suggests Red Bull are the ones to beat, chased by Ferrari and then Mercedes, with McLaren coming up on the rails.
Ferrari are confident they have bridged last year’s power deficit – vital in an engine freeze formula in which development is banned.
The sport’s owners, Liberty, will welcome the return of the sport’s marquee brand who have not won a race since September 2019.
In Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz they have a rapier quick duo sure to deliver if they have the machinery.
A surprise candidate for best of the rest are American minnows Haas - although they have mostly hit the headlines for ditching their Russian title sponsors and $80m in backing over the Ukrainian invasion.
They would have been less worried about dumping fractious Russian racer Nikita Mazepin, son of their billionaire sponsor.
His vacant seat has been taken by popular Dane Kevin Magnussen, who will be far better benchmark for Mick Schumacher, son of the race legend.
George Russell replaces Valtteri Bottas in a move that sets up one of the most intriguing F1 sub-plots of 2022.
The promising Brit slots in alongside Hamilton after stunning performances over the past two years that suggest he will be far more than an obedient No 2 and capable wingman.
Many see him as a looming threat to Hamilton and perhaps even, longer term, his replacement.
If his Mercedes is not a pacesetter and the eighth title dream gone for another year, will veteran Hamilton have the determination and focus to risk everything for fifth place on the grid while fending off a new young tyro?
And in one of the more intriguing developments - will we ever see the Hamilton name on the podium again after the Mercedes ace announced at Expo 2020 Dubai he would be changing his name to include Larbalestier in honour of mother Carmen he publicly hailed “the best part of me”?
With the dismissal of race director Michael Masi over last year’s disastrous finale in Abu Dhabi come two new race directors charged with providing more consistency by yet another new element in the paddock: recently elected FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem, an Emirati.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tu%20Jhoothi%20Main%20Makkaar%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELuv%20Ranjan%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERanbir%20Kapoor%2C%20Shraddha%20Kapoor%2C%20Anubhav%20Singh%20Bassi%20and%20Dimple%20Kapadia%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
