Pitted against one another in direct duel for most of the Formula One season, it is fair to say Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel represent the sport’s chief rivals.
That competitiveness could be seen most clearly at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June, when, with the pair the only realistic contenders for the world title, Vettel was penalised for deliberately driving his Ferrari into Hamilton’s Mercedes.
Vettel ended up fourth in Baku, one spot ahead of Hamilton, although ultimately the Englishman can claim to have had the last laugh. Three weeks ago, and with two races to spare, Hamilton sealed the championship trophy ahead of the German.
What is more, a fourth world title drew him level with Vettel as the joint-third most successful driver in F1 history, alongside Alain Prost. So, with the seasonal race run, on first inspection there appears little on the line at the campaign-concluding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend.
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But then, competitive juices are hard to stem. Both Hamilton and Vettel have three victories apiece in the UAE, meaning that come Sunday they are gunning for local bragging rights. Sitting alongside Vettel at Yas Marina Circuit on Thursday, Hamilton emphasised how important a win in Abu Dhabi would be. Trump your main challenger and lay down a marker for 2018? Capital gains, indeed.
“We have this battle of always wanting to get ahead of each other, so of course I am extremely driven this weekend to try and finish the season off as strong as I can,” Hamilton said. “Obviously in the last race Sebastian won and I don't particularly want to give you this one.
“I'm looking forward to having hopefully at least a good battle with these guys this weekend. Either way, it's just about approaching it the same: giving it everything, as if you are still fighting for the championship.
"Regardless of whether you win or not, as long as you've given it everything, you can walk away proudly, knowing that you've had a solid season."
Back in 2009, Hamilton’s season was not quite as solid as Vettel, but still he found some extra incentive in Abu Dhabi. The inaugural race marked F1’s introduction to the UAE, so a sponsor promised a limited-edition Mercedes-Benz to the victor. Hamilton took pole yet, having led until lap 20, his McLaren let him down, clearing the road for Vettel in his Red Bull to prevail.
Even for a man who has apparently amassed $46 million (Dh169m) this year alone, and whose wealth was on full display on Thursday in the watch and necklace he sported, missing out on the car still stings somewhat.
“I was quite determined to win that one because there was a car up for grabs, which I was pretty motivated to get at the time,” Hamilton said. “I was obviously leading then and the rear brakes failed so Sebastian won it.”
Hamilton has done most of the winning this season, though. Such has been his dominance – he has nine victories – that he and Mercedes will next season once more be the team to beat. However, with five wins Ferrari have shown enough to suggest both the drivers' and constructors' title races will be closer run in 2018. Understandably, that would suit Vettel.
“I wanted this press conference to be less relaxed,” he joked, a mood maintained by he, Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo throughout a generally jovial media briefing.
Still, Vettel is patently serious about next season’s prospects.
"Completely fired up," is how he described his frame of mind going into 2018.
And so he should be, considering Ferrari’s five victories were as many as they registered in the previous five campaigns combined. Yet even with that in mind, Vettel conceded catching Mercedes would be “massively tough”.
“The final step is always the hardest,” he said.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UAE’s revised Cricket World Cup League Two schedule
August, 2021: Host - United States; Teams - UAE, United States and Scotland
Between September and November, 2021 (dates TBC): Host - Namibia; Teams - Namibia, Oman, UAE
December, 2021: Host - UAE; Teams - UAE, Namibia, Oman
February, 2022: Hosts - Nepal; Teams - UAE, Nepal, PNG
June, 2022: Hosts - Scotland; Teams - UAE, United States, Scotland
September, 2022: Hosts - PNG; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
February, 2023: Hosts - UAE; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 3 (Abraham 11', 17', 74')
Luton Town 1 (Clark 30')
Man of the match Abraham (Chelsea)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Meydan race card
6pm Dubai Trophy – Conditions(TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35Dubai Trophy – Conditions(TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
1,800m
7.10pm Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m ,400m
7.45pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
8.20pm Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
8.55pm Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
9.30pm Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
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MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)