Can Mercedes really win every race and become F1’s Invincibles?
Are we about to witness the most dominant season in the sport’s history by a single driver and a single team?
Some will say it is too early to be talking about the elusive Perfect Season after just three rounds. And in such a changeable world.
But in a season of records surely this is the record of all records? Surely it has to be the target. And with this car Mercedes have to be in the game.
When they were in their pomp in the 1980s McLaren came closest with 15 wins in 16 races – and only lost at Monza because Ayrton Senna tripped over a dithering stand-in Williams driver.
And that shows how difficult it can be. One dozy rival racer, one miscommunication and the dream is over.
Mercedes have certainly laid out their stall in devastating fashion in the opening three rounds of the championship – three pole starts, three wins.
Lewis Hamilton has won twice while his fraught opening weekend went to teammate Valtteri Bottas.
The last round in Hungary was the most impressive, with Hamilton so far ahead of the rest he had time to pit without losing the lead, then tick off fastest lap and a win.
But it was not only the manner in which it was achieved, against the backdrop of the pandemic uncertainty, but the stage.
Austria and Hungary could hardly be called Mercedes’ strong suits. Normally.
In fact, they were 1.3 seconds clear of their nearest non-Mercedes rivals in Hungary qualifying. An age in F1 terms.
And the talk of Invincibles is all the more convincing because their traditional rivals are stumbling.
Ferrari are in utter chaos: both cars were lapped last time out and it was evident the engine lacked power and the car handled like a frightened pig.
Things are so bad Ferrari chairman John Elkann has publicly ruled out a win this year or next, run to similar regulations.
On the ground, team principal Mattia Binotto announced a reshuffle and the return of South African Rory Byrne, the architect of the Michael Schumacher glory days.
Very much against Maranello’s traditional reaction to failure, no-one was fired but the corporate structure and areas of responsibility of key figures juggled and more tightly defined.
Unsuccessful Ferrari team bosses usually have a shelf life not far removed from that of a Premier League manager.
And the result has been a continual spiral of change, uncertainty, decline and failure. So perhaps they are finally learning from the Merc model; long-term competitiveness demands long-term stability.
Even so, the wisdom in sacking such a prolific figure as four-time champion Sebastian Vettel before the season has even begun begs serious questions of those in charge.
And as for Red Bull; they have discovered an aero weakness which makes the car unstable in long corners and the Honda engine cedes half a second to the Merc on the straights.
Design legend Adrian Newey says he knows the cause of the problem but has not shared whether it can be solved for Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
Of course, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff will rubbish all talk of Invincibles as “too soon” or “we don’t even know where we are racing or how many times, let alone whether we can win.” I can hear it now.
But where is the Mercedes competition going to come from? Only themselves, it appears. Or more accurately a year-old version of themselves – Racing Point’s controversial copy of last year’s winning Merc is so astonishing similar (and competitive) it has been protested twice by Renault and the results of the FIA inquiry is due any day.
Everyone had been hoping F1’s future out the other side of the global pandemic would be bright – but it might just be bright pink.
New owner and Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll has worked miracles – shed loads of money tends to have that effect in F1.
Perennially broke and close to closure under previous management they are now vying for the spot as the second force in F1.
Rivals teams must reflect with some chagrin that they are being outperformed not only by the current Mercedes design but a Mercedes powered year-old one as well.
If any circuit is made for Mercedes the expansive straights of Silverstone is it and on Sunday, and a week, later fans will surely witness one of the biggest chasms in recent times between the pacesetters and their pursuers.
Let’s see how outrageous talk of an Invincible season seems then.
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Jawan
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Company%20Profile
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
THE BIO:
Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
Favourite exercise: Bench press
Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn
Power drink: A glass of yoghurt
Role model: Any good man
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
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
