DUBAI // If you thought rush-hour traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road or any road linking Dubai and Sharjah was crazy, think again.
This weekend, starting 2pm tomorrow, nearly 100 cars of the roaring and muscular sort will blaze around the 5.39-kilometre circuit at the Dubai Autodrome, running non-stop for 24 hours with the aim of crossing the finish line first in the 24H Dubai, the opening race of the seven-stop Creventic 24H Series.
“I did one in Mugello,” said Robert Kubica, the former Formula One driver, as he talked about the traffic on the circuit. “On the one side, it’s good fun and on the other side, it’s quite dangerous.
“There are a lot of run-off areas, so it’s quite a safe track here. But what everybody has to keep in mind is that the race is long and you often don’t have professional drivers behind the wheels. You have to keep that in mind.”
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Khaled Al Qubaisi, who will spearhead the Team Abu Dhabi Racing Black Falcon effort this weekend, inside a Mercedes AMG GT3, knows that better than most drivers here.
Winner of the 24H Dubai – his “home race” – in 2012 and 2013, he has suffered over the past three years because of “incidents and crashes”.
Last January, Al Qubaisi and his teammates were running in second when they made contact with the Attempto Porsche on Lap 119 as the Abu Dhabi Racing car attempted to overtake it, forcing them to retire.
They were forced to retire in 2015 too following an incident with a slower car, so Al Qubaisi is not very comfortable with the idea of seeing so many cars on the grid.
“The traffic here is very, very tough,” said Al Qubaisi, who will be sharing driving duties with Dutchman Jeroen Bleekemolen and the German duo of Patrick Assenheimer and Manuel Metzger.
“The main challenge actually with the 24H Dubai is managing the traffic and staying out of trouble, and it’s very hard to do that while you are racing and competing with a lot of top teams.
“We need to find the right balance between that and taking risks and hope to stay out of trouble.”
Al Qubaisi, who finished third in 2014 despite technical issues with the car, would prefer to see a reduction in the number of cars on the grid. He also suggested a couple of other measures to make sure only the best and fastest compete.
“The organisation has set a limit of 100 cars, but I think that is way too high for a race like this one, on such a track,” he said. “I think 70 cars is a good number. They could take one of the lowest category of cars out because I think they are too slow. Also, they could regulate the drivers a little bit to ensure their pace is within acceptable limits.
“It’s very hard sometimes to forecast who is in the cars, and whether he is good or not. You might take a risk and end up like we did last year, going out.”
Keen to avoid a repeat of last year, Al Qubaisi, who will be making his seventh appearance in the 24H Dubai, added: “It’s a home race, a very special race for us. It would be great to finish it, and, hopefully, finish it in first.”
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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
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
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New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
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IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
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
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Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke
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Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
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