Max Verstappen continued Red Bull's dominant start to the season by winning Saturday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, ahead of teammate Sergio Perez.
Charles Leclerc's Ferrari was third with British teen Oliver Bearman a remarkable seventh on his debut for Ferrari as a late stand-in for Carlos Sainz.
Even after just two races, and despite turmoil at Red Bull, Verstappen looked in complete control as he aims for a fourth consecutive title.
Verstappen started on pole and held off Leclerc at the first corner, as he did last week at the season-opener in Bahrain, before quickly building his lead.
The only interruption came when Lance Stroll's crash brought out the safety car. Verstappen came into the pits for a tire change and after the restart easily passed Lando Norris to retake the lead.
Perez had a five-second penalty because Red Bull released him from a pit stop into the path of another car, but that didn't matter since he finished far ahead of Leclerc.
Perez was runner-up under the Jeddah floodlights, last year's winner taking the chequered flag 13.643 seconds behind his triple world champion teammate.
The victory was a ninth in a row for Verstappen, dating back to Japan last September, and 56th of the 26-year-old Dutch driver's career.
It was also his 100th career podium while Red Bull's 115th win lifted them ahead of Williams in fourth place on the all-time lists.
"Overall, a fantastic weekend for the whole team and myself. I felt really good with the car and it was the same in the race," Verstappen said.
Britain's Bearman, making his F1 race debut as Ferrari's youngest ever rookie at 18 years and 305 days old after Spaniard Sainz was sidelined by appendicitis, finished seventh and was voted Driver of the Day.
"Today he's been incredible," said Leclerc of his teammate. "It's hugely impressive and I'm sure he's extremely proud. Everybody has noticed how talented he is and I'm sure it's just a matter of time before he's in F1."
Oscar Piastri was fourth for McLaren, with Fernando Alonso fifth for Aston Martin and George Russell sixth for Mercedes and the first of four British drivers following each other across the line.
The win came at a tumultuous time for Red Bull, who have been forced to clarify that Verstappen will remain at the team.
The crisis-hit Formula One team's group CEO Oliver Mintzlaff had earlier stated that Verstappen will not leave amid rumours of a move to Mercedes.
Verstappen cast doubt over his future when he claimed he will quit the world champions if motorsport adviser Helmut Marko is forced out.
The Press Association reported that 80-year-old Austrian Marko, an instrumental figure in Verstappen's career, faces a Red Bull investigation following the probe into claims of "inappropriate behaviour" against Christian Horner.
Verstappen's deal with Red Bull runs until 2028 and, when asked ahead of the Saudi Arabian GP if the Dutch driver will remain with the team, Mintzlaff replied: "Of course. He has a contract.
"Max is a great driver and hopefully we will win tonight. I am here just for racing. That's it."
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 1
Kane (50')
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Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
