Max Verstappen may have caused a stir at his news conference for the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Thursday, but the fact he did was a breath of fresh air.
The Red Bull Racing driver is well aware of how much interest he generates in Formula One these days.
"You guys like the drama, don't you?" he said in the media centre at Yas Marina Circuit.
This was Verstappen's first public appearance since he was sanctioned by the FIA for shoving Force India's Esteban Ocon in the pit lane in Brazil after their collision in the race cost the Dutchman victory.
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Read more:
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Weekend - all the latest updates on and off the track
Abu Dhabi GP talking points: Ferrari's big chance and Robert Kubica in action
'I was after an apology': Max Verstappen defends pushing Esteban Ocon
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The FIA, motorsport's ruling body, ordered Verstappen to do two days community service at a time yet to be decided. Despite his punishment, Verstappen was not exactly circumspect over his behaviour towards Ocon.
During a lively 20 minutes of questioning, Verstappen, with Ocon sat in the same room, spoke passionately about why he wouldn't have done anything differently. He insisted he was "really calm" and believes his FIA penalty was "harsh".
This writer did not agree with everything he said, but in the PR-controlled era of F1 it was great to hear a leading driver be open and honest about his feelings.
It may have been youth talking - Verstappen only turned 21 in September - but he spoke from the heart.
It is a credit also to Red Bull that they have not controlled him. There may be choice words behind closed doors, but in public both he and teammate Daniel Ricciardo are allowed to speak freely.
Ocon, on the other hand, said it was time to "move forwards" and refused to elaborate when asked what he allegedly said to Verstappen that provoked the Dutchman's response.
One line from Verstappen that stood out was: "What do you expect me to do? Shake his hand? Say thank you very much for being second instead of first? I think it was probably a normal response."
Verstappen crossed a line by getting physical with Ocon. He compared it to football, yet pushing an opponent in that sport normally results in a yellow card.
But his point on naturally being angry after losing out on a likely race win was true, and something people can relate to.
It would have been more shocking if Verstappen went over to Ocon with grin on his face, put an arm around his rival, and had a 'never mind, these things happen' attitude.
Verstappen is an exciting character: brilliantly fast on the track and out-spoken off it. He has become a cult hero, not just to Dutch fans but also to supporters across the world.
There is a reason he is the first F1 driver to have a dedicated part of a grandstand at Yas Marina Circuit set aside for his fans. The area in the Marina Grandstand will be awash with orange-coloured shirts this weekend.
Verstappen is box office, not always for the right reasons, but he is the sport's next big superstar after world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Fans love him, journalists enjoy having someone who speaks so openly, and the sport's owners, Liberty Media, will be pleased with the extra column inches and TV viewers he brings in.
He clearly still feels wronged by what happened in Brazil. His challenge now is to, like Ocon "move forwards" and do his talking on the circuit in Abu Dhabi as he looks to end the year in style with a third win on Sunday.
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
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SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.4-inch IPS LCD, 400 nits, toughened glass
CPU: Unisoc T610; Mali G52 GPU
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Price: Dh849
Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
Selected fixtures
All times UAE
Wednesday
Poland v Portugal 10.45pm
Russia v Sweden 10.45pm
Friday
Belgium v Switzerland 10.45pm
Croatia v England 10.45pm
Saturday
Netherlands v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Denmark 10.45pm
Sunday
Poland v Italy 10.45pm
Monday
Spain v England 10.45pm
Tuesday
France v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Wales 10.45pm
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Poland Statement
All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.
The dominant group of refugees in Poland are citizens of Ukraine, but among the people checked by the Border Guard are also citizens of the USA, Nigeria, India, Georgia and other countries.
All persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. In relation to those who are in doubt, e.g. do not have documents, Border Guard officers apply appropriate checking procedures.
No person who has received refuge in Poland will be sent back to a country torn by war.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Champion%20v%20Champion%20(PFL%20v%20Bellator)
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
