Valtteri Bottas led home Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.  Mark Thompson / Getty Images
Valtteri Bottas led home Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Mercedes driver Bottas sets Yas Marina Circuit record to claim pole for Abu Dhabi Grand Prix



Valtteri Bottas will start Sunday's Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from pole position.

The Finn surprised his British world champion teammate Lewis Hamilton with the fastest ever lap around Yas Marina Circuit.

His time of 1 minute 36.231 seconds proved too good for Hamilton, who has already sealed his fourth drivers' world championship.

Sebastian Vettel was third for Ferrari, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull Racing car. Kimi Raikkonen was fifth in the second Ferrari with Max Verstappen sixth for Red Bull.

Sunday's race, which consists of 55 laps, begins at 5pm.

GRID PLACEMENTS FOR SUNDAY'S ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

1. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP

3. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing

5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

7. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault
8. Sergio Perez, Force India

9. Esteban Ocon, Force India
10. Felipe Massa, Williams

11. Fernando Alonso, McLaren
12. Carlos Sainz Jr, Renault

13. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren
14. Kevin Magnussen, Haas

15. Lance Stroll, Williams
16. Romain Grosjean, Haas

17. Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso
18. Pascal Wehrelin, Sauber

19. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber
20. Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso

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Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

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Name: Grubtech

Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi

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Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)

 

The specs: Macan Turbo

Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes. 
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com

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