Fernando Alonso joked that he expects a cut from McLaren team principal Andrea Stella’s bonus due to the fact the Spaniard was the main reason Stella joined the Woking outfit back in 2015.
An impressive 2024 campaign for McLaren ended with them securing their first Formula One constructors’ title since 1998.
Lando Norris triumphed at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to make it six race wins for McLaren this season – four via the 24-year-old Brit and two courtesy of teammate Oscar Piastri.
Aston Martin’s Alonso, who spent five seasons at McLaren in 2007 and again from 2015 to 2018, described their title-winning efforts this year as “fantastic” and was happy to see some of his old friends on the grid enjoy success.
Stella was Alonso’s race engineer at Ferrari from 2010 to 2014 before they both moved to McLaren, where the Italian began as head of race operations and took on different roles until he became team principal ahead of the 2023 season.
“Zak [Brown, McLaren CEO] is a really good friend of mine. We will spend some days together now, in the next few weeks. We will have some fun track days; we rented a track actually,” revealed Alonso after the race at Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday.
“I’m a really good friend of Andrea. In a way I brought him to McLaren when I joined McLaren.
“I told him before the race, what Abu Dhabi took from our hands in 2010, hopefully today it gives something back to you, and it did. I’m happy for him, he deserves it, he’s a very clever guy. McLaren is an example for many things.”
When a reporter asked Alonso if he was taking credit for McLaren’s title run, the Spaniard quipped: “Yes, I should be part of his [Stella’s] bonus.”
Alonso renewed his commitment to Aston Martin by signing a long-term contract earlier this year, which should keep him racing for the Silverstone-based team through 2026, and potentially take on other roles there in the future.
A standout 2023 saw Alonso achieve eight podiums with Aston Martin. But the team didn’t trend in the right direction this year, and despite retaining P5 in the constructors’ championship, neither Alonso, nor his teammate Lance Stroll, managed to finish higher than fifth at any of the 24 races.
Still, the two-time world champion is excited about what is to come with Aston Martin, where new personnel will be joining, a state-of-the-art facility has been built at Silverstone, and a new power unit partnership has been signed with Honda starting 2026.
“I think the new factory now is completed, also the new wind tunnel is going to be open soon. Andy Cowell [Group CEO at Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team], did change some of the weaknesses he found in the team. We have trust in the new management and things are moving in the right direction. So I’m happy for that,” said the 43-year-old Alonso.
“But in Formula One, there are not many miracles, you need to be patient, you need to find that sweet spot in the car, you need to find that upgrade that really awakes everything in these ground-effect cars, as McLaren proved last year.
“They started last and then won races in the midseason and we need to learn from them. It’s a good example of how things can be done and we will try to reset this winter and come back stronger.”
Alonso added: “McLaren did not do much in 2023 until Austria [early July], where they were on the podium. In Austria they introduced a package where they gained six, seven 10ths or whatever and that was the beginning of a series of packages that put the car as the fastest eventually.
“That ‘Austria package’, if we’re going to call it that, this is something that we need to work on.”
After walking away empty-handed through a four-race run from Austin to Las Vegas, Alonso was happy to score points in the last two stops of the 2024 season, finishing seventh in Qatar and ninth in Abu Dhabi.
He says the winter break will be the perfect time for the team to “reset” and “learn from all the difficulties and mistakes of this year”.
At 43, Alonso insists his motivation is still high, especially entering this next phase of transformation with Aston Martin.
“I’m just enjoying myself during this part of my career. I still feel fast, and I feel motivated, and I’m enjoying with the team, the progress, the good things, but also the bad things, we try to learn from those,” said Alonso.
“Soon we will start working with great people that I admire, like [F1 design guru] Adrian Newey, Enrico [Cardile] is joining the team as well soon [as F1 chief technical officer], Andy Cowell.
“So people that I raced against, and now I have the possibility to work alongside them and learn from them. It’s a good moment of my life and my career and I’m enjoying every day.”
Scoreline
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3
- Agüero 18'
- Kompany 58'
- Silva 65'
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Croatia v Hungary, Thursday, 10.45pm, UAE
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
The five pillars of Islam
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJames%20Cameron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESam%20Worthington%2C%20Zoe%20Saldana%2C%20Sigourney%20Weaver%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
