Lewis Hamilton gunning for glory at first ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

1 / 2
Lewis Hamilton is coming off a sensational win at the first ever Qatar Grand Prix. (AFP)
2 / 2
Mercedes’ driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates with his first place trophy on the podium following the Qatari Formula One Grand Prix at the Losail International Circuit on Nov. 21, 2021. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 04 December 2021
Follow

Lewis Hamilton gunning for glory at first ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

  • Reigning champion heads into F1 race 8 points behind Max Verstappen, tells Arab News of balancing pressures of racing with interests off track

JEDDAH: The first ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is almost here, and the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time could not be more relaxed, considering what is at stake.

A potential record-breaking eighth championship is back within tantalizing reach. And as the eyes of the world turn to the newly completed Jeddah Corniche Circuit, F1 has never been more popular.

And some of its newest fans have come from a most unexpected source. “I think it’s changed the game,” said Lewis Hamilton.

High praise indeed. Not for a new car, or some revolutionary technical innovation, though. Hamilton was referencing the Netflix show “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” and how it had brought the sport to a whole new global audience.

“I don’t think anybody knew what it was going to do for the sport exactly. Definitely thought it would be positive, but it’s changed the sport for good I think,” the reigning world champion added.

“I think it’s been the best thing because our sport is often quite difficult for people to understand. If you turn the TV on, you have no clue what’s going on. It’s very intricate, very complex, and there’s so many moving parts.”

The world’s most exclusive sport suddenly seems that little bit more welcoming to outsiders these days.

The 36-year-old Mercedes driver said: “Most people play football at school, play tennis, or try out these other sports. Most people don’t get the chance to race cars, so it’s been great for that show to be able to showcase that there are actual personalities within sport and the excitement in depth rather than just what you see on TV.

“And now there’s this whirlwind of new fan following, and yes the close championship makes it even more exciting.”

Not that Hamilton’s profile needed boosting.




Lewis Hamilton has helped design IWC’s Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition ‘Lewis Hamilton’. (IWC Schaffhausen)

Seven-time world champion, possessor of most pole positions (102) and race wins (102), and now gunning for a record eighth driver championship with Mercedes, Hamilton is coming off a sensational win at the first ever Qatar Grand Prix which has cut Max Verstappen’s lead at the top of the standings to eight points.

“The track was awesome. When we started driving it, just with the wind direction and the grip level, the speed of all the corners, they were all medium- and high-speed corners, I was sure the racing was not going to be great there. But it actually was, surprisingly.

“Qualifying lap, single lap, felt incredible and we had good preparation,” Hamilton added.

Having won the previous weekend in Brazil, Hamilton and Mercedes initially struggled in Doha.

“The Friday was a difficult day for me, I was nowhere, and I just kept my head down and studied hard and was fortunate, I felt, to turn it around and have a great Saturday and Sunday.

“I definitely didn’t know that at this point I’d be this close (to Verstappen in the standings) and have the performance that we finally were able to unlock with the car. I’m super grateful for it,” he said.

Next up for the rivals is this weekend’s inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and yet another new track in Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

“I think all the drivers have driven the simulator; it is incredibly quick. It is a bit reminiscent of Montreal in terms of the long straight track that they have there, but they’re all curved at this track, and also there’s not a lot of run-off area so it really is quite a street circuit, and right in the city.

“It looks pretty epic to be honest, but we won’t fully know until we feel the rollercoaster ride of the real G-Force and speed, once we get there,” Hamilton added.




The reigning Formula 1 world champion says his interest off the track have helped him keep perspective in his racing career. (IWC Schaffhausen)

The British driver will be hoping to take the championship to the last race in Abu Dhabi, where the Yas Marina Circuit has been reconfigured for the first time since its completion in 2009.

He said: “It’s obviously an incredible circuit with the whole build-out of the place, I think they spent the most on that circuit than any other circuit, so it’s a great spectacle, beautiful last race of the season. But the layout has always been very, very difficult to follow and overtaking is quite difficult.

“It’s quite interesting that they’ve made these changes and I really think it’s going to unlock the potential of that circuit, to be more of a racing circuit. Because it’s so hard for us to follow each other, when they make these types of small changes, it’s hard to follow those through.

“So, from the simulator driving that I’ve done it looks like it’s going to make it very, very difficult to hold, to even keep position. It looks like it could be something where you’re constantly switching and changing. They might move to one of the best racing circuits, we’ll see when we get there,” he added.

Of Hamilton’s seven titles, six have been won with Mercedes in the last seven years, and such was his dominance at times, often it seemed that he was racing against himself, and history.

The closeness of this season’s battle with Verstappen and Red Bull is something Hamilton is cherishing.

“I really am because each year you’re faced with different scenarios. I wouldn’t say that it’s ever been a choice for me. I’ve never had it easy, in my younger days starting with an old go-kart, having to always race from the back.

“And particularly in karting, there was always wheel-to-wheel racing, super close. It was always down to that last lap, you had to be very, very tactical to make sure you came out first. I miss that in racing, and as you get through your cars you get less and less of that, and it’s more about positioning and holding the position.”

Red Bull have certainly raised the stakes this season, but Hamilton and Mercedes have risen to the challenge in recent weeks; the gap to Verstappen is down to only eight points in the drivers’ championship, while the team now leads Red Bull by five points.

Hamilton said: “Then of course we have all these disparities between cars each year, one team does well, and the other team doesn’t. We’ve done well for quite a few years, it’s amazing to now have this close battle again because it’s reminiscent of my karting days in terms of how close it is.

“But it also meant that we all have to elevate and perfect our craft even more. That’s what sport is about, right? That’s why it’s been super exciting. It’s been challenging for my engineers, for the mechanics, how do they dig deep and squeeze more out of their potential. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, but something I’ve really enjoyed.”

Should Hamilton win the title in Abu Dhabi, it will be a very popular victory among the natives. The organizers of the race at Yas Marina Circuit still speak with pride at how Hamilton — who races in No. 44 — took part in the UAE’s 44th National Day celebrations in 2015.

Having spent a significant part of his life racing around the world, Hamilton has seen first-hand how F1 has grown in the Middle East.

“Each time we go out to Bahrain, the crowds seem to get bigger and bigger. Abu Dhabi gets bigger and bigger each time we go and of course we have more and more presence now particularly with Qatar and Saudi,” he added.

Crucially, more young people are taking up motorsports in this part of the world, especially karting.

“I just spoke to someone from Saudi, I don’t know a lot of people in Saudi, but they are talking to me about how there are a lot of girls, and boys, where their first choice is not football, it’s racing,” Hamilton said.

“It’s quite cool to see there is a new generation out in the Middle East that are car crazy and want to be racing. So, who knows, maybe in the future we’re going to see a Formula 1 driver from somewhere in the Middle East, I think that could be quite cool. Would be even better if that was female.”

Hamilton, famously, has developed many interests, and supported many causes, outside racing.

“Being an athlete, being a sportsman, most often that’s all you do and for me it’s been important to find other outlets, other areas, because if you focus on one thing it doesn’t always lead to happiness.

“You’ve got to be able to fill and explore your other potential, other avenues that you might be good at. It’s always great to be able to turn your mind off from racing, and focus on something else, something that you can be creative with,” he added.

Lewis Hamilton's career


  • 1

    Joins Mclaren and wins first F1 Grand Prix in Canada

    Timeline Image 2007


  • 2

    Joins Mercedes

    Timeline Image 2013


  • 3

    92nd win [new record] at Portuguese Grand Prix

    Timeline Image 2020


  • 4

    100th win at Russian Grand Prix

    Timeline Image 2021

Unlike most other drivers, or athletes, Hamilton has had ventures into music and fashion. He has also built a close relationship with Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen — for whom he is an ambassador — over the last few years, helping design his very own timepiece, Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition Lewis Hamilton.

“So, I really enjoyed the whole process, from sitting in the car at Hockenheim with Christopher (Grainger-Herr, chief executive officer of IWC Schaffhausen), driving to the airport and talking about a potential collaboration, and talking about the intricacies of a watch, and saying I want my own watch one day, to now having my own timepiece.

“It was really challenging for me, sitting there working with them because I have a lot of appreciation for the brand’s work and expertise, but I also wanted to add my own touch. I had questions like, what can we change on the dial? The tourbillon, I want to get the tourbillon in one of my pieces because it’s one of my favorite movements, if not my favorite movement,” he said.

In recent years, activism has played a big part in Hamilton’s life away from F1, and he has become an outspoken advocate for social equality, diversity in sport, and environmental sustainability, his own X44 team taking part in the first ever electric SUV rally series, Extreme E, this year.

Hamilton noted that it was vital for him to work with people who shared his values.

“So, I’ve been on calls with my partners at IWC Schaffhausen talking about things like, what are you doing during this time about diversity? How diverse is your company, what are your goals, how are you going to be more inclusive moving forward? And they’re fully on board with that.

“That for me is amazing to see, that people are conscious of sustainability, brands are conscious of the impact that we’re having on the planet. I only really like to engage with people that are like-minded in that sense, rather than just business-minded,” he added.

Far from being distractions, his interests away from racing have helped him keep an almost zen-like sense of perspective in his career, as his continued brilliance on the track has shown.

He said: “Tapping into different things helps take the pressure off this crazy, intense world that I have over here. Because if I stop and think about that and only think about the racing, I have 2,000 people working flat out, depending on me at the end to pull it through.

“Partners, and my own expectations can be super overwhelming, so these other things help me dilute that pressure and feed that energy into something positive.”

Still, when he lands in Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend, expect one thing, and one thing only, to be on Lewis Hamilton’s mind.


Saudi football federation, World Football Summit unite to showcase football innovation at WFS Asia 2024 in Riyadh

Updated 12 November 2024
Follow

Saudi football federation, World Football Summit unite to showcase football innovation at WFS Asia 2024 in Riyadh

  • Scheduled for Dec. 2-3 at Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, the summit will mark an expansion on last year’s successful debut in Jeddah

RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and World Football Summit have announced a partnership for the 2024 edition of the event.

Scheduled for Dec. 2-3 at Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, the summit will mark an expansion on last year’s successful debut in Jeddah, which brought together over 1,500 industry leaders.

This year’s edition will have an expected 2,000 delegates and will feature enhanced programming and networking opportunities, fostering strategic discussions and partnerships aimed at developing the region’s football industry, organizers said.

Ibrahim Alkassim, secretary-general of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, highlighted the event’s importance.

“Hosting WFS Asia in Riyadh underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to developing football not just nationally, but across the region. This event aligns perfectly with our Vision 2030 goals. We invite the entire football community to join us, learn from each other, and elevate the business surrounding the beautiful game,” he said.

The return of WFS Asia to Saudi Arabia reflects the region’s growing appetite for football as a key component of its economic and cultural development, Jan Alessie, co-founder and director of WFS, said.

“The overwhelming response to our first edition demonstrated the region’s appetite for a world-class football business event. Our return to Saudi Arabia underscores the nation’s emergence as a pivotal hub for football development and innovation,” he said.

Khalid Al-Khudair, CEO of SMC, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing SMC’s commitment to fostering football’s commercial growth: “We are proud at SMC to enhance commercial opportunities in the football industry, both locally and internationally, through strategic partnerships that contribute to the growth of sports marketing in the Kingdom.”

WFS Asia 2024 supports Vision 2030’s goal of boosting the sports sector’s contribution to 2.5-3 percent of Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product.

The 2024 edition of WFS Asia will align closely with Vision 2030’s objectives through a comprehensive agenda that focuses on key themes critical to the future of football in the Kingdom.

These themes include the integration of technology in football, innovations in fan engagement, and the development of sports tourism as a significant economic driver. Sustainability will also be a central topic, reflecting the global push toward environmentally conscious practices in sports.

Additionally, the growth of women’s football and the nurturing of youth development programs will be highlighted, showcasing Saudi Arabia’s dedication to inclusivity and long-term talent cultivation in the sport.


FA investigates Premier League referee Coote over video rant

Updated 12 November 2024
Follow

FA investigates Premier League referee Coote over video rant

  • Referees body Professional Game Match Officials Ltd. announced on Monday that Coote, 42, had been suspended pending a full investigation
  • The Football Association is also looking at Coote’s comments

LONDON: The Football Association is investigating after a video was posted on social media appearing to show Premier League referee David Coote making derogatory comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp.
Referees body Professional Game Match Officials Ltd. announced on Monday that Coote, 42, had been suspended pending a full investigation.
The Football Association is also looking at Coote’s comments. It is understood part of its investigation will center on whether Coote’s reference to Klopp’s nationality constitutes an aggravated breach of its misconduct rules.
“We are aware of the matter, and we are investigating it,” an FA spokesman said on Tuesday.
According to the clip, Coote, who refereed Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Aston Villa on Saturday, said Klopp was “arrogant” and used offensive language.
Retired referee Mike Dean, now a TV pundit, believes the incident will have a damaging effect on officials throughout English football.
In an interview with Sky Sports, the 56-year-old said: “As referees you can’t put yourself in that position no matter what you do.
“You can say things away from camera, you can talk among your friends and things and colleagues, but you can’t let somebody video this and then hope that it’s never going to come out.”
The video appears to refer to a match that Coote officiated between Liverpool and Burnley in July 2020, which finished 1-1. Liverpool had already been crowned champions.
Klopp criticized Coote after the match, saying the referee had been too lenient in his treatment of Burnley challenges.
Klopp left Liverpool at the end of last season after nearly nine years in charge at Anfield.
The German was also critical of Coote over an incident in a match against Arsenal last season in which Gunners midfielder Martin Odegaard’s hand made contact with the ball.
Coote, as VAR, did not advise on-field official Chris Kavanagh to review the incident.
Coote was also the VAR in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in October 2020 when Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford inflicted a season-ending injury on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.
Pickford was not sent off for the challenge and did not face retrospective action because, under FA rules, that can only happen if an incident was not seen either at the time or when it was reviewed by VAR.


Low turnout for France-Israel match would be understandable, says Upamecano

Updated 12 November 2024
Follow

Low turnout for France-Israel match would be understandable, says Upamecano

  • Israeli soccer fans were attacked in Amsterdam last week by groups shouting anti-Israeli slurs
  • “I can understand why people don’t want to come. It’s their choice. We’ll keep going, we’ll fight on the pitch,” 26-year-old center-back Upamecano told reporters

PARIS: A low turnout for France’s high-security Nations League soccer match against Israel at the Stade de France on Thursday would be understandable, defender Dayot Upamecano said on Tuesday.
French media expect only 20,000 fans in the 80,000 capacity stadium north of Paris, where President Emmanuel Macron will attend under tight security, with 2,500 police around the stadium, 1,500 across the city and 1,600 stadium staff deployed.
Israeli soccer fans were attacked in Amsterdam last week by groups shouting anti-Israeli slurs, with at least five people injured after Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Europa League game at Ajax.
Some Maccabi supporters were also seen chanting anti-Arab slogans before Thursday’s match.
On Sunday, Israel urged its citizens to avoid attending cultural and sports events abroad involving Israelis over the coming week.
French supporters’ group Les Irreductibles Français conducted a survey among its members, which showed 15 percent would boycott the France-Israel match due to the Israel-Gaza war.
Some 30 percent cited “security risks,” with 34 percent listing practical reasons such as being unavailable or out of holiday time.
“I can understand why people don’t want to come. It’s their choice. We’ll keep going, we’ll fight on the pitch,” 26-year-old center-back Upamecano told reporters on Tuesday.
Dutch police said they took away more than 300 pro-Palestinian protesters who ignored a ban on demonstrations in Amsterdam on Sunday and detained 50 more following clashes involving Israeli soccer fans last week.
“We will stay focused on the upcoming match. Sorry I didn’t see what happened in Amsterdam,” Upamecano added.
Asked If the France-Israel match should have been moved he added: “Somewhere else? I don’t know at all. I’m just here to play. I’ve loved playing football since I was little.
“Yesterday was November 11 (Armistice Day). I love peace, I hope that one day we’ll find it again, in every country.”
France are second in Nations league Group A2 on nine points from four games, a point behind Italy and five ahead of Belgium. Israel are bottom of the four-team standings without a point.
The Europa League match between Turkish side Besiktas and Maccabi Tel-Aviv on Nov. 28 will be played at a neutral venue in Hungary, European soccer’s governing body UEFA said on Monday.


Former France striker Wissam Ben Yedder gets 2-year suspended jail sentence in sexual assault case

Updated 12 November 2024
Follow

Former France striker Wissam Ben Yedder gets 2-year suspended jail sentence in sexual assault case

  • The prosecutor requested a jail sentence of two years, six months, including 18 months suspended
  • The plaintiff’s lawyer, Frank Michel, said during the trial that the victim was in a state of shock and asked for 25,000 euros in damages

PARIS: French soccer star Wissam Ben Yedder received a suspended sentence of two years in prison on Tuesday after his trial last month in France for sexually assaulting a woman, one of his lawyers told The Associated Press.
The prosecutor requested a jail sentence of two years, six months, including 18 months suspended.
Lawyer Marie Roumiantseva said Ben Yedder, who was accused of sexual assault while intoxicated, was ordered to pay compensation of 5,000 euros ($5,300) to the victim. The court in the southern city of Nice also imposed on Ben Yedder a duty to follow treatment.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Frank Michel, said during the trial that the victim was in a state of shock and asked for 25,000 euros in damages.
Ben Yedder was charged after a woman filed a lawsuit against him in September. He can appeal the ruling.
The 34-year-old player, a prolific striker who has also played for the national team, was briefly detained then released after the incident in his car on the French Riviera. He was arrested at his home later that night after he first refused to stop his car.
The court also ordered the suspension of Ben Yedder’s driving license for six months.
After his arrest, Ben Yedder — who has since started alcohol detox and therapy — admitted he drove while under the influence. He said during the trial he was so drunk he has no recollection of any kind of sexual assault.
Ben Yedder has been without a club since his contract with Monaco expired at the end of last season.
He scored 16 goals with three assists in the French league last season to help Monaco finish second behind Paris Saint-Germain. In five seasons with Monaco, he scored 118 times in 201 appearances in all competitions to become the club’s second-highest scorer behind retired Argentine striker Delio Onnis (223).
Ben Yedder has 19 caps for France, the last of which came in June 2022.
In a separate legal case last year, Ben Yedder was charged with rape, attempted rape and sexual assault over another alleged incident in the south of France.


UAE team show quality at Baseball United Arab Classic final in Dubai

Updated 12 November 2024
Follow

UAE team show quality at Baseball United Arab Classic final in Dubai

  • The team defeated several more experienced baseball nations during their journey to the tournament finale

DUBAI: The UAE’s national baseball team — assembled in just 30 days — put on a stunning performance when they played in their first international tournament at the weekend.

During the inaugural Baseball United Arab Classic, the UAE side won five games before finishing as runners-up, losing in the final to the championship’s highest-ranked team, Pakistan.

All games were played at Baseball United’s new ballpark at The Sevens, with the UAE defeating India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan en route to the quarterfinals. There, they beat Saudi Arabia — also playing in their first international tournament — and followed that up with a semifinal over Palestine.

That was arguably the championship’s most exciting game, with shortstop Chris Beyers hitting a momentum-shifting home run to spearhead the victory. Overall, the UAE outscored their opponents by 23 runs during the tournament, with Beyers (SS), Lorenzo Riddle (RF/P), and Gabriel Reque (DH) winning All-Tournament Team honors.

It was a strong and unprecedented debut for a team new to the international scene. The UAE national team was formed after Baseball United’s chairman, CEO and co-founder Kash Shaikh petitioned the Emirates Cricket Board to allow the organization to build, develop and manage a national baseball program.

The rights were granted on Oct. 4, based on “Baseball United’s professional knowledge, expertise and pedigree as a respected international baseball organization.”

Shaikh said: “I am so proud of this historic team and I’m very grateful to Emirates Cricket Board for enabling us to elevate the UAE on yet another global stage. To go from formation to championship game in just one month’s time is incredible.

“From our managers, Eddie Diaz and Roger Duthie, to the entire coaching staff, to this passionate and talented group of players — everyone came together to positively share the UAE’s vision and values through sport. They truly got the world to take notice. The UAE baseball team, our new ballpark and our Baseball United professional games and brand have put Dubai and the UAE on the baseball map. And we believe it’s just the beginning.”

Diaz, a Hall of Fame manager in Mexico, has a professional baseball career that spans more than four decades, with experience as a player, manager and executive. He played Minor League Baseball with the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians, and also was a Major League Baseball scout for more than a decade. Diaz later managed in Mexico’s top summer baseball league, LMB, for 12 years and its top winter league, the Mexican Pacific League, for 11 years. He also won two Caribbean Series championships.

“As Kash often says, we made history,” said Diaz. “It was an honor for our team to represent the UAE. Most of these guys have spent the vast majority of their lives in this great country so they were very proud to have UAE across their chest. We are looking forward to continuing (to get) better with Baseball United’s leadership, guidance, and support.”

The team follows World Baseball Classic eligibility rules and regulations, which will enable broader representation and participation for local residents. In addition to citizens, WBC rules allow for permanent legal residents and/or players born in the national team’s country of territory to participate in its international events, as well as those with at least one parent who is a citizen of or who was born in the country or territory.

Globally, baseball is classed as a top five sport, with some 600 million fans. Most are located in the US, Latin America, Japan and Korea. In the US alone, professional baseball generates nearly $15 billion in revenue each year.

International tournaments are gaining in worldwide popularity, with the World Baseball Classic generating record attendance, viewership and revenue last year. Baseball is also set to appear in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.