It’s difficult to put into words just how much Monza – Sunday’s home of the Italian Grand Prix – means to Ferrari and their passionate following.
A sprawling royal park is a curious stage but there is palpable sense of the immense motorsport history in a lingering concoction of burnt oil and scorched brakes, the new buildings and old fences.
Once the scene of kings and princes on a sedate Sunday canter, the sprawling 700 hectare site has been transformed by a national obsession into a cathedral of worship for the fastest F1 race on earth.
And the speeds are such around what is effectively four straights joined by three Mickey-Mouse chicanes that accidents, even now, are inevitably serious. Topping 350kph will do that.
Over the decades 40 fans and 50 drivers have died, including Ronnie Peterson and Jochen Rindt, the sport’s only posthumous champion, killed at the 1970 staging. A fire marshal was killed by a flying wheel in 2000.
So along with the majesty and passion goes a tangible melancholy.
But still they come to worship, the Ferrari fans who have their own name – the tifosi – which quite literally means ‘those infected by a fever’.
To see a hoard of Maranello’s finest coming in and out of the circuit is to witness the modern equivalent of a feudal army, predominantly red, on the march. Giant flags fluttering, klaxons playing, flares spark and smoke bomb erupt to create a drifting red fog.
The tifosi cheer Ferrari drivers to the rafters and celebrate when rivals, even Italian ones, crash out. The race may be in progress but if their blood-red icons retire they head home en masse.
The park’s size is a both a blessing and a curse. Rabid fans flood over the walls in their thousands and disappear into the expansive woods making it impossible to patrol adequately.
I have jogged and driven the circuit at dusk and seen fans camped on the inner recesses, gathered around bonfires, built halfway up disused concrete grandstands, without fear of being removed.
In the 1990s I helicoptered back from an event at Lake Como and descended from the clouds to witness what could only be described as a small city of trucks, vans, motorhomes, caravans and seething humanity.
Outside the paddock gates the melee is the same every year. Barely controlled chaos.
Inside, what is supposed to be the calm, business epicentre of a global sporting enterprise, is transformed for one weekend into an anything-goes fashion show sprinkled with Italian madness.
My first experience of the track in 1987 as Ayrton Senna’s public relations man I was standing outside the pit lane garage after the race ended when a mechanic suddenly shouted “inside, inside”.
I dived in as the garage doors clanged shut the length of the pitlane. It became apparent why. Tens of thousands of passionate fans had found a gap and surged through the fencing to hammer enthusiastically on the steel doors. It was like being inside a drum.
My daily drive to the track took me past the gates of Villa San Martino in Arcore, owned by the nation’s most famous political figure of recent times, Silvio Berlusconi. The armed carabinieri lounging by the main gates are the most relaxed security detail in the world.
But the dichotomy that is Italy was never clearer than when I learnt from court papers that Berlusconi’s head of security there in the 1970s had been Vittorio Mangano, who died in prison in 2000, jailed for mafia activities including racketeering, kidnap and extortion. Berlusconi denied any knowledge of Mangano’s activities but later hailed the man “a hero”.
As far as the racing goes Ferrari will be praying this year’s event slides into oblivion as quick as the last round, which was their worst result in a decade.
Team boss Mattia Binotto, the figure most culpable, is right in at least one respect, they are at the centre of a raging storm. Passion cuts both ways.
Their fall from grace is such that last year’s winners at Monza are doubtful of a top 10 finish for their home race even at a circuit specifically designed to appeal to their greatest strength – power. Sadly it will only demonstrate the scale of its absence in 2020.
Perhaps it’s just as well the fans are banned by the pandemic. But I can promise you, however well the camera angles hide them, and however bad the omens are for their beloved Ferrari the tifosi will be close at hand on Sunday.
Closer, probably, than Charles Leclerc or Sebastian Vettel will be to Lewis Hamilton or Valtteri Bottas, that’s for sure.
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
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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