Jenson Button, left, of Great Britain and McLaren and Kevin Magnussen of Finland and McLaren walk in the paddock following practice for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on April 19, 2013 in Sakhir, Bahrain. Mark Thompson / Getty Images
Jenson Button, left, of Great Britain and McLaren and Kevin Magnussen of Finland and McLaren walk in the paddock following practice for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Show more

With some help, McLaren’s Magnussen could rise quickly among rookies



Of the three debutants in Formula One, Kevin Magnussen, is the man likely to draw the most attention and headlines over the coming year.

The Dane has been fast-tracked onto the grid by McLaren-Mercedes after he won the Formula Renault 3.5 Series last season, with the British team jettisoning Sergio Perez to make space for him.

The Magnussen name is not a new one to F1; his father, Jan, raced once for McLaren, in the Pacific Grand Prix, in 1995.

Jan’s F1 career was considered a disappointment as he raced only 25 times before leaving the series midway through 1998 after being dropped by Stewart. Considerably more is expected of his 21-year-old son.

The signs are good that he will deliver. Perez, while erratic, did not do an awful job in the below-par McLaren last year and would have been a more than serviceable option to stay on, alongside the 2009 world champion Jenson Button.

But McLaren see potential greatness in Magnussen’s racing and did not hesitate in elbowing Perez out of the way to make it happen.

Now Magnussen has to repay that faith. From testing it appears he does not have a race-winning car, yet, but a car that should be competing for podium and top-10 finishes.

Where Magnussen can make an immediate impact is in qualifying.

Saturday afternoons are not Button’s strongest area, as evidenced by the fact that Perez out-qualified him in 10 of 19 races last season.

If Magnussen, who topped the times in test sessions in both Jerez and Bahrain, can replicate that speed and start ahead of Button on the grid in the opening races it will allow his confidence to grow, and also give him a track-position advantage.

Button is expected to benefit from a new era of F1, where managing fuel consumption and tyre wear will be as crucial as raw speed. Magnussen could learn much from Button, who at the same time is someone the young driver might be able to beat.

Button is one of the most grounded drivers in the F1 paddock, and as long as Magnussen does not collide with him, as Perez did, they should get along just fine.

If one were to pick a world-champion teammate for a rookie year, Button would be most people’s choice.

Hamilton? Too fast. Alonso? Too fast and known for not playing well with others in same team. Raikkonen? Fast, but his quiet nature means learning from him is hard. Just ask Romain Grosjean about their two years together at Lotus.

Button is ideal. He is quick, but his raw pace is not astounding. His skill is in setting up a car well and adjusting to variable conditions, things Magnussen will do to pick up on.

The first person any driver must beat is his teammate. It is the measuring stick, particularly if you do not have a race-winning car at your disposal.

Magnussen may not be able to win races this year if the McLaren does not prove a match for Mercedes-GP, but beating a world champion in your first season in the same car would be a loud statement of intent and, judging by his testing times, it is something Magnussen is more than capable of doing.

Toro Rosso have proven it can be a stepping stone to better things in F1, with both current Red Bull Racing drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, impressing in their stints there.

Daniil Kyvat will have a hard task making an immediate impact with them, however, with this year’s STR9 chassis struggling in testing, aligned to the fact they have the unreliable Renault engines to contend with, too.

Kvyat, the 19-year-old Russian, has talent, unquestionably, having won the GP3 series last year, wrapping up the title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November.

He will be hard-pressed to demonstrate that, though, at least early in the 19-race season.

While Kvyat faces a difficult time, it could be worse. He could be driving for Caterham.

That is the fate of Marcus Ericsson, the Swedish driver, who partners Kamui Kobayashi at the perennial tail-end team.

Caterham have yet to score a point in four seasons of F1, and it is a sad indictment that their chances of breaking through this year have been improved.

It is not because Caterham have a stronger package, but because the expected unreliablilty of the new V6 turbo engines could create situations where back markers finish in the points.

Ericsson spent three relatively unremarkable years in GP2 before getting his F1 break, and his target, like that of Magnussen, will be to get the better of a more-experienced teammate, given the poor machinery he will have at his disposal.

gcaygill@thenational.ae

Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE

Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
RESULTS

2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m. Winner: Masaali, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).

2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m. Winner: Almoreb, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m. Winner: Imprison, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.

3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m. Winner: Raahy, Adrie de Vries, Jaber Ramadhan.

4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m. Winner: Cross The Ocean, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m. Winner: Sa’Ada, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash.

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  • Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
  • Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
  • Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma

When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

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Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

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AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

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COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: Happy Tenant

Started: January 2019

Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana

Based: Dubai

Sector: Technology, real-estate

Initial investment: Dh2.5 million

Investors: Self-funded

Total customers: 4,000

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Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

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Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

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Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
  • Drones
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

A Prayer Before Dawn

Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire

Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai

Three stars

RESULTS

Dubai Kahayla Classic – Group 1 (PA) $750,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Deryan, Ioritz Mendizabal (jockey), Didier Guillemin (trainer).
Godolphin Mile – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
Dubai Gold Cup – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (Turf) 3,200m
Winner: Subjectivist, Joe Fanning, Mark Johnston
Al Quoz Sprint – Group 1 (TB) $1million (T) 1,200m
Winner: Extravagant Kid, Ryan Moore, Brendan Walsh
UAE Derby – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Rebel’s Romance, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Dubai Golden Shaheen – Group 1 (TB) $1.5million (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zenden, Antonio Fresu, Carlos David
Dubai Turf – Group 1 (TB) $4million (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord North, Frankie Dettori, John Gosden
Dubai Sheema Classic – Group 1 (TB) $5million (T) 2,410m
Winner: Mishriff, John Egan, John Gosden

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