ABU DHABI // The Formula One circus is staying in town - at least for a few more days.
As soon as Sebastian Vettel roared past the chequered flag to claim the world championship on Sunday, the F1 teams began packing up, but only some of their gear.
The cars and engines will stay at Yas Marina Circuit until Saturday, while the 12 teams put the cars, young drivers and the new Pirelli tyres for next season through their paces.
"They have packed up a lot of gear into the sea containers," said Andy Beaven, the senior paddock manager at Yas Marina Circuit. "Anything that is broken or damaged would be put away. Also, the equipment for the paddock area, like tables and chairs, were not needed. It could be up to 100 things to put away now."
The sea freight, which consists of such easily replaced equipment, will be shipped back to team headquarters in Europe. The more expensive and irreplaceable parts will be flown back separately.
Yesterday, the roar of the V8 engines could be heard near the track as engineers fine-tuned them. Today, drivers hoping to make it big in future seasons get behind the wheel. The young drivers need 300 hours of time in an F1 car to receive their Super Licence, which allows them to race in Formula One.
The racing teams were not the only ones recovering from the main event. Workers scoured the track grounds for any rubbish tossed aside by the 50,000 departing fans - a job organisers said was minimal at Yas Island because of thorough groundskeeping during the event.
"You can always tell how many people were at any event by the amount of rubbish left behind the next day. It was different at Yas," said Steven Umfreville, the commercial director of Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM), which manages Yas Marina Circuit.
The Oasis areas, where racegoers enjoyed food and entertainment, were dismantled yesterday. The fast-food outlets were put into storage and the media centre was rearranged into a configuration that can be used for conferences.
The race on Sunday may have marked the end of the Formula One season, but it was only the start of the season for the circuit. The next time it opens to the public will be the Open Drag Racing night on December 4. Then comes more drag racing, the Australian V8 supercars and the FIA GT1 World Championship.
Next year's race was already on the mind of the track's chief executive before the 2010 race even began.
"We are now looking at what we have and ways of improving for 2011. We will measure the customer feedback and go from there," Richard Cregan, the chief executive of ADMM, said last week.
On the Corniche yesterday, the concert promoters Flash were breaking down the F1 FanZone. The area opened in October and for two weeks before the Formula One showdown it featured activities every night. Thousands of visitors took in car-themed film nights, watched a Brazilian parade and had the chance to meet F1 drivers.
Mike Fairburn, the director of marketing and planning at Flash, expected the FanZone to be all gone by Thursday.
"They are working really fast to get everything down," he said.
The stage on which free concerts were performed was down by yesterday afternoon, as were the lighting towers. During the four nights of the Beats on the Beach concerts, 120,000 people danced on the sand.
There was a hive of activity around the Flash Forum too. The domed building on Yas Island, a temporary home to Skybar, will be the site of more events this year.
"We will keep about 40 per cent of what's inside at the moment, like some of the lighting and the wiring," Mr Fairburn said. "It will go from 1,000 people for a black tie event to 6,000 people for an R 'n' B concert."
At Yas Arena, 45,000 fans watched Prince on Sunday night.
"We are leaving everything for the Jonas Brothers, who will play this weekend," he said. The only changes to be made are to the banners and changing some of the services."
Yas Arena will be used every weekend by Flash for concerts, including Guns N' Roses in December.
eharnan@thenational.ae
Dream gig for young singer
ABU DHABI // It was the chance of a lifetime for any aspiring musician – the opportunity to support the chart-toppers Sugababes and Corinne Bailey Rae in concert.
For schoolgirl Charlotte Simmonds, who has wanted a career in music from an early age, “it was a dream come true”.
In two late-night sets last weekend at the Longitude Bar in Yas Hotel as part of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after-race festivities, the 16-year-old singer marked her first public performance.
“I couldn’t have picked a better place, a better atmosphere, or a better group of people to perform with,” she said.
Charlotte, from the UK, got her lucky break when she was introduced to Maxine Redding, a projects associate at Flash Entertainment.
“Charley is just fantastic, she was perfect for this kind of event,” said Ms Redding. “She’s among the core of the very best of local talent,” she said.
She was one of four performers earmarked by Ms Redding for the show from 11.30pm to 12.30am on Friday and Saturday.
Charlotte, who has just started studying for her A-levels at Jumeirah College in Dubai, said she hoped to get into a studio and record some tracks in the coming months.
* Martin Croucher
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
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.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
Final scores
18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)
- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)
-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)
-11: David Lipsky (USA), Marc Warren (SCO)
-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
More on Quran memorisation:
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
Match info
Manchester United 1 (Van de Beek 80') Crystal Palace 3 (Townsend 7', Zaha pen 74' & 85')
Man of the match Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
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
Final round
25 under - Antoine Rozner (FRA)
23 - Francesco Laporta (ITA), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG)
21 - Grant Forrest (SCO)
20 - Ross Fisher (ENG)
19 - Steven Brown (ENG), Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Niklas Lemke (SWE), Marc Warren (SCO), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
