It’s tantalising, it really is. Could 2021 be Lewis Hamilton’s greatest Formula 1 season and his last?
The projection of the mighty Mercedes PR machine is all about the virgin landscape he will be treading as he attempts to become the first driver to win a record eighth world championship.
If all goes according to (Mercedes’) plan the season, starting Friday in Bahrain, will be the most significant by any driver in the sport’s history.
This is first-step-on-the-moon stuff, in F1 terms; sailing into seas uncharted by the greatest drivers you can name: not Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, not Juan-Manuel Fangio nor Michael Schumacher.
It finds Hamilton at the zenith of both his career and his private ambitions. He is regarded as the world’s greatest racer and beyond F1 an unflinching social crusader, sometimes on fashion or ecology but increasingly on racial inequality.
But then there is the reality: the dark shadows lurking beneath the shimmering lake of apparent perfection.
Why at such a significant juncture would he commit to just one more year at the team that has carried him to this unbelievable peak?
OK, there are sweeping new regulations in 2022, but then why re-sign just a month before testing?
This is Hamilton’s fourth contract at the three pointed star and all of the previous three (Singapore 2012, Monaco in May 2015 and Germany July 2018) were done in good time.
Only the first, made upon his departure from McLaren, wrapped up in September hints that he delays when the landscape is changing.
Most fans believe teams run around behind the star players, arm outstretched proffering a blank cheque, begging them to stay.
The hard truth is that the teams often call the tune (think Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel). Especially when they have a winning car.
And great as he is, George Russell's stand-out performance in Bahrain last year suggests you don't have to be the greatest driver of all time to win in a Mercedes.
As Fernando Alonso put it: “In five days he went from last to first. All without a divine touch, without meditating in Tibet etc. It was enough just to get in a Mercedes.”
F1's highest paid drivers
And all is not as it should be at Team Hamilton either. Last month he split with his closest advisor, and long-time friend, Marc Hynes. Who needs a manager if there are no new deals to be done?
And the day of the announcement of his new contract, February 8, there was not a single Tweet or Instagram from Hamilton.
This prolific social media warrior, who is often moved to message his 30 million strong global following about the slightest affairs of his pet dog Roscoe, was strangely silent.
Any of these factors on its own could be discounted but now they cement whispers of real-life hard bargaining behind the scenes – and Hamilton unhappy about the outcome.
Not only did Hamilton not get the pay rise he wanted, they say, he did not get a pay rise at all.
Some believe Hamilton did not like what he was being offered but Mercedes refused to budge and he was told before Christmas he had to sign ahead of pre-season testing or they would be forced to make other plans.
If that’s the case, the gamble, clearly, was that after years of forcing them to meet his escalating salary demands they believed Hamilton was now the one with most to lose.
Remember Mercedes had happily already agreed to change the colour scheme of the car to back Hamilton’s diversity drive. To anyone else that would be called sponsorship and cost upwards of £100 million a year. Quid pro quo, Lewis.
Mercedes' W12 car
In recent testing Mercedes discovered their race machine is no longer the class of the field but a decidedly tail-happy beast. Boss Toto Wolff called it “a diva”.
The consensus is the new aero rules reducing rear downforce have affected the low rake Mercedes more than most.
Given Honda’s questionable reliability record, though, the Silver Arrows remain favourite to endure over an exhausting 23-race season, but Red Bull are likely to have a handling and performance edge.
So will Hamilton, at 36, enjoy chasing rather than leading; being the underdog rather than top dog?
The script carved by the last few months suggests that inside Mercedes and out Hamilton faces more of a challenge than ever before. And if he wants title No 8 he’s going to have to fight for it.
But then he does love a fight.
Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
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Match info:
Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)
Pakistan squad
Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
WWE Super ShowDown results
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Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
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Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
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.”
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
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
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Price: From Dh650,000
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
(All games 4-3pm kick UAE time) Bayern Munich v Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Mainz , Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg, Union Berlin v RB Leipzig, Cologne v Schalke , Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart v Arminia Bielefeld
