So Lewis Hamilton already has the 2019 Formula One championship in the bag, his team mate Valtteri Bottas second, and their Mercedes team the victorious constructor.
Much of the talking is done, it seems, and neither driver took part in Thursday's official media duties. But that doesn't mean there is nothing to play for this weekend in Abu Dhabi. Far from it. This might be the season's bow, but the competition will be as fierce as ever.
In F1, the battle to be the fastest when the new chapter opens in March has been underway for months. The racing might not start until then, but the fight for supremacy never stops.
Hamilton is a six time world champion, and four time winner here. But there's not a chance the other teams are going to wave his Mercedes through on the Yes Marina Circuit and let him enjoy the procession.
This race is all about laying down markers, eye-balling the opposition, sometimes within the drivers's own team, and getting an edge for 2020.
The new blood, in the shape of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Red Bull's Max Verstappen, took centre stage on Thursday and they're hungry for a piece of what Hamilton has.
Leclerc's team mate Sebastian Vettel was also absent from the event, but it had earlier been announced he'd been excused press duties as he was celebrating the arrival of a baby boy with his partner Hannah.
This would have been the first instance of the German and Leclerc being in the same room since they had talks with team boss Mattia Binotto at Maranello last week following their collision in Brazil.
Leclerc was keen to put the matter to rest though, insisting the whole thing had been resolved amicably. He said the team had looked at the incident and focused on what they could do to ensure the problem did not reoccur, with everyone involved taking a day out to examine the footage.
The incident occurred when Vettel was trying to re-take fourth place after Leclerc had passed him three turns previously, with five laps to go.
Looking back at the crash, Leclerc said he and Vettel both had cause to look at their actions.
"It was unfortunate," Leclerc said. "The touch was extremely small."
The pair will have to be "less aggressive" towards each other, he said.
"We will be able to race," Leclerc said, indicating there was no lasting rift. "We're both competitive and want to win. We need to find the right compromise – we both race for the same team. We need to give each other a bit more space."
Over the season, Leclerc thought that the team had improved after a mixed start. "Overall we've progressed, which is the most important thing," he said.
Verstappen was also happy with the way Red Bull had moved along.
"It's been very promising and we've had some good results," he said.
In an interview with The National, both Verstappen and Leclerc, currently placed third and fourth in the championship respectively, were cited by F1 analyst and former team boss Eddie Jordan as the most serious competition for Hamilton and Bottas in the 2020 season.
Neither man appears to be letting future prospects of success go their heads though. Both were still concentrating on the matter at hand, which is ensuring the highest possible finish on Sunday. They also seemed relaxed in each other's company.
When asked which car was going to be fastest on Sunday, Verstappen shrugged and said: "I don't know. We'll find out."
He said the three top teams had been close to each other in the last three races, and hoped for a similarly competitive situation on Sunday.
Joining Leclerc and Verstappen to talk was Kevin Magnussen of Haas, a driver and team who have suffered a disappointing season.
He said the team knew they had problems as early on as Bahrain, despite early indications being that the car was performing well.
"We've got to come back stronger next year," he said.
As regards second-placed Bottas, Abu Dhabi is likely to prove tough for the driver – it was announced that Mercedes had been forced to replace power unit elements on the Finn’s car, meaning, under F1 rules, he’ll have to start from the back of the grid.
Bottas was unfortunate to suffer Mercedes’ first mechanical failure since Austria 2018 at the Brazilian Grand Prix last time out, his car developing a catastrophic oil leak that forced him to return to the pits and retire from the race. His penalty comes as only a certain number of replacement engine parts are permitted each season.
On a more personal note, he also announced the end of his three-year marriage to Finnish swimmer Emilia, an event which is unlikely to make Sunday's drive any easier for him.
It is the 11th time the grid will line up in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. It has been a decade of thrills, and these supreme drivers will be giving everything to come back next year with one eye on Hamilton's crown.
The Intruder
Director: Deon Taylor
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good
One star
Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
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.”
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
MATCH INFO
Red Star Belgrade v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight (Thursday), UAE
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Liz%20Truss
%3Cp%3EMinisterial%20experience%3A%20Current%20Foreign%20Secretary.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0DWhat%20did%20she%20do%20before%20politics%3F%20Worked%20as%20an%20economist%20for%20Shell%20and%20Cable%20and%20Wireless%20and%20was%20then%20a%20deputy%20director%20for%20right-of-centre%20think%20tank%20Reform.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0DWhat%20does%20she%20say%20on%20tax%3F%20She%20has%20pledged%20to%20%22start%20cutting%20taxes%20from%20day%20one%22%2C%20reversing%20April's%20rise%20in%20National%20Insurance%20and%20promising%20to%20keep%20%22corporation%20tax%20competitive%22.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
