ABU DHABI: The drivers themselves may play it down, but a year on from the last Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, few racing fans or pundits can resist recalling that famous final lap, which saw Max Verstappen overtake Lewis Hamilton to win his first-ever title.
This season, Red Bull’s Dutch driver has retained his championship several weeks ago in less dramatic circumstances, but the memory of the 2021 finale lingers.
“It was a historic race,” said Saif Al-Noaimi, the CEO of Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management. “The fact that Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton arrived with exactly the same points to Abu Dhabi, the final race of the season, the championship-deciding race…that is for me the memorable moment.
“We have to remember that last year, we modified the racetrack.
“It was no coincidence that arguably the most exciting Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in its 13-year history came after the track had been revamped to produce more wheel-to-wheel racing and provide more opportunities to overtake.
“It is fantastic to see the results of that work over the last summer, in 2021, and to see how competitive the race was. In that Grand Prix, we had 33 overtakes on the track and four lead changes. So clearly the effort and the changes that we’ve made to the track in 2021 have paid off.
“And it was a historic race, record number in terms of attendance on the ground last year. Then also, we had a record number in terms of viewers on the livestream — we had over 108 million viewers. It was actually the largest sporting event globally of 2021. So definitely a proud moment for us at ADMM.”
Previously, Yas Marina Circuit was considered a difficult track to overtake on, but according to Al-Noaimi, the feedback from the drivers has been overwhelmingly favorable.
“The feedback has been amazing. We did some interviews over the weekend last year, overall extremely positive. Generally, they were saying ‘We were able to follow each other better, we were able to stay closer, we’re able to overtake.’
“But for me also, the biggest piece of feedback is they said it felt like a completely different track. So, the changes were made to several corners, but the flow throughout the entire lap felt different. They felt that there was a good rhythm. And they were able to push and get more out of their cars. I think we saw that on the ground with the race.”
This year, there will be no titles up for grabs, but there is still a big battle for second place to be settled, and the demand for tickets is as high as it has ever been according to Al-Noaimi.
“We’ve had actually record numbers for Thursday and Friday attendance to Yas Marina Circuit over the Grand Prix weekend. We’re extremely prepared, and we’re planning for record numbers for (Saturday) as well as Sunday. We have some really exciting new products that we developed this year. We’ve increased our capacity. Because of the unprecedented demand, we had to build an additional grandstand for 5,000 spectators.
“And we’ve also built various hospitality units that accommodate 1,500 guests across the different parts of the venue,” said Al-Noaimi. “There are some fantastic new products with amazing views, like the deck at Turn 9, which is on the iconic Marsa Corner, with amazing views of that new bank corner at Yas Marina Circuit. It’s a completely new experience we created this year.”
Al-Noaimi also highlighted the food and beverage on offer, with restaurants like C’est La Vie, Luna Lounge and Opa.
“(We’ve had) unprecedented demand,” he added. “We’ve sold out in record numbers even though we increased capacity. We’re seeing a lot of interest and demand in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.”
The sport in general has seen a rise in interest, helped in large by the drivers’ embrace of social media and the Netflix show “Drive to Survive.” Al-Noaimi says these have played a big part in F1’s immense — and rising — popularity, but added there are many other, sporting, factors.
“Definitely we’re seeing an increase in interest in the sport, we’re seeing a changing demographic also. I would say there are multiple things,” he said.
“I think generally in F1 as a sport, the rules and the changes that they’ve made over the last few years — the cost cap, the new technical regulations for the cars in 2022 — (mean that) the racing on the track is a lot more exciting.
“You have to agree that Netflix played a role also in the growing interest. It’s providing a very different perspective to F1.
“F1 has always had the hardcore motorsport fan that follows the championship and watches the races, but now we’re seeing more of a different demographic that is becoming more interested. The great thing is they’re getting to see a different angle of the sport, they’re getting to see behind the scenes, they’re getting to see the challenges between the different teammates. They’re getting to see the team principals and different personalities in the sport. So it’s definitely a positive; it’s grown interest. But I would say there are multiple things that have caused this increase in demand for F1.”
On Sunday, Yas Marina Circuit will bid farewell to one of its early favorites when three-time Abu Dhabi winner Sebastian Vettel, of Aston Martin, walks away from the sport — for now.
“He’s definitely a legend of the sport; he’s the third most successful driver in F1 history,” said Al-Noaimi.
“I think he has done quite well in Yas Marina Circuit over the years. We’ve always been huge fans of Vettel and he won his first championship over here,” he said.
“So being the last race in the season, we’ve seen a lot of champions moving on from F1 into the next phase of their career, and in some cases, coming back, the likes of Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher.
“It’s obviously sad to see Sebastian (leave). I think he’s had a big impact on the sport. He’s definitely left his mark and he will always be remembered here at Yas Marina Circuit.”
With Abu Dhabi traditionally closing a season that includes Grand Prix races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and, imminently, Qatar, Al-Noaimi is optimistic that F1, and indeed all motorsports, will continue to grow in this part of the world.
“I think this region is extremely important for Formula 1, but also motorsports are definitely growing, and having four Grand Prix in the region is going to support that. I think we will all support and complement each other.
“We’re also seeing growth in grassroots motorsports. We as Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management are investing and ensuring that there are development programs and platforms to grow young talent in the UAE and in the region. We just launched our Yas Heat Academy just a couple of weeks ago, where we’re moving from karting and esports into circuit racing.
“We have our Formula Four UAE team that’s going to participate in this Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend for the first time, racing in front of the same fans.
“We’re seeing the F4 UAE Championship for the first time going outside the borders of the UAE. Potentially there could be further expansion in the region. We’re seeing other regional championships that have expressed interest, and I think in the next few years we’ll see a lot more opportunities for development and championships in the UAE.”
With such support and some of the best facilities in the world available, the big question remains: Will we see an Emirati driver rise through the ranks and eventually even race in F1?
“I have no doubt we’ll see Emirati drivers in the top tiers of motorsports in the next few years,” Al-Noaimi said.
“There is Rashid Al-Dhaheri. We actually just announced that he has joined us as an ambassador to our Yas Heat Racing Team. Rashid is still 14 years old. He’s not at the age of racing in F4. But he has done amazing in karting, winning international races and competing at the highest level.
“We’ve had Amna and Hamda Al-Qubaisi also making their way up the ladder in motorsports and racing Formula Three in Europe. They’ve done F4 as well.
“We have some exciting up-and-coming drivers in the UAE. I have no doubt that we will continue to see that grow and develop, and we do expect to see them at the top tiers of motorsports globally.”
Unprecedented popularity of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix points to bright future for regional motorsports
https://arab.news/r9ts2
Unprecedented popularity of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix points to bright future for regional motorsports
- CEO of Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management Saif Al-Noaimi tells Arab News that track changes, new regulations and an expanding demographic are behind the sport’s skyrocketing profile
- Previously, Yas Marina Circuit was considered a difficult track to overtake on, but according to Al-Noaimi, the feedback from the drivers has been overwhelmingly favorable
Cricket’s imbalanced financial structure continues to favor handful of powerful nations
- The International Cricket Council, under new chair Jay Shah, has opportunity to promote India as a uniter and grower of the game
Last week an article written in 2012 caught my eye. It commented on a 9 percent decline in the number of television viewers watching the Indian Premier League. This led to a recommendation that the IPL should join forces with the International Cricket Council to form a World Cricket League, featuring teams from around the world.
In retrospect, the suggestion appears bizarre. The IPL has since become the powerhouse that has propelled India to dominance in cricket’s global political economy. The recommendation ought to be a warning to those who try to predict the game’s future landscape.
It is clear that India’s dominance shows little sign of waning for the foreseeable future. Au contraire, it is set to grow further with the appointment of Jay Shah as chair of the ICC. Previously, Shah was secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India between October 2019 and December 2024. During that time, he was instrumental in shaping the current ICC financial model. This massively favors India.
Confirmation was revealed at the ICC annual conference in July 2023, with India set to receive almost 40 percent of ICC revenues in the 2024 to 2027 cycle. How much will actually be earned depends upon the broadcasting revenues that will be realized. Initial estimates indicate that the BCCI could earn $230 million out of a total pot of some $600 million annually. This is a significant increase compared with the 2016 to 2023 cycle, in which the BCCI’s share from the ICC’s central revenue pool totaled $405 million.
By way of comparison, the England and Wales Cricket Board is set to receive $41 million annually, 6.89 percent of the total pot, followed by Cricket Australia with $37.53 million, or 6.25 percent. Only one other board, Pakistan’s, is set to receive over $30 million annually, with $34.51 million or 5.75 percent. The other eight full members will receive a total of $189 million, an average of $24 million each. This leaves $67.5 million, around 11 percent of the pot, to be shared between the 96 associate members.
The contribution to national board income is not easy to estimate. First, this is partly because the criteria or “component weightings” used in the model are opaque. They are based on contribution to the global game both on and off the field. This embraces cricket history, performance in both men’s and women’s ICC events over the last 16 years, contribution to the ICC’s commercial revenue and an equal weightage for full members, quoted as 8.3 percent.
It is clear from the figures above that the other criteria amend the equal weighting. India’s claim that it contributes between 70 and 80 percent of the ICC’s revenue is well recognized in its allocation, whereas that for all other full members is below the base weighting.
A second reason is that the ICC’s annual income is based on the estimated earnings for future years. The majority of these derive from sales of media rights. In the 2024 to 2031 cycle, rights for ICC events were sold for $3.2 billion with $3 billion paid by Disney Star for the Indian market. Effectively, these funds bankroll cricket. In this context, the criticality of matches between India and Pakistan becomes apparent, as highlighted in the recent fracas between them over the 2025 Champions Trophy.
A third reason is that the payments are not uniform. New Zealand Cricket’s report and accounts for the year ending July 31, 2024, note that the distribution of monies from the ICC tends to be heavily weighted toward the end of the cycle. The final wash-up payment from the previous cycle, for example, was received around May 2024, placing it in the 2023 to 2024 financial year.
The NZC’s income in 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024, has been NZ$97 million and NZ$98 million, equivalent to around $55 million. If a similar figure is assumed for 2024 to 2025 then the ICC income of between $24 million and $28 million represents half of its revenue stream. In comparison, the England and Wales Cricket Board has an annual income of around $388 million. Therefore, its $41 million from the ICC is 11 percent of its income, a lower dependency than that of New Zealand. However, 75 percent of its revenues is derived from sales of broadcasting rights, emphasizing its fragile financial structure.
India has no such vulnerability. Its 2023 to 2024 income of 7.574 crore rupees — fast approaching $1 billion — dwarfs that of all other ICC members. This represents a massive contribution to the game across all criteria. On the other hand, that amount of power and influence distort other outcomes. One of these is growth amongst associate members. Many of them are ambitious but are hamstrung by a lack of funds. An example is the Netherlands.
Recently, its governing body, the Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond, has seemingly pulled back from its ambition to become an ICC full member, because of a budgetary shortfall. Its team has often caused upsets against full members but, unlike the ICC’s full members, the governing body is not guaranteed a slice of the world revenue. This is contingent on qualification for global events, position on white-ball rankings tables and performance on the ICC’s development scorecard. This pits associate members in direct competition with one another, with financial uncertainty a deterrent to potential sponsors.
There is an opportunity for the ICC, under Shah, to promote India as a uniter and grower of the game. This could involve a greater sharing of broadcasting incomes, allowing its teams to play smaller full members and emerging countries, as well as opening new territories and markets. Shah appears to be putting great store by the Olympics to focus on the latter.
There is little indication, so far, that there is any prospect for associate members to receive additional funding to encourage their development. Perhaps this is deliberate. Power clearly rests with India. When with the BCCI, Shah was a key player in negotiating broadcast rights. He carries those connections into the ICC. The recent merger between Disney and Reliance in India severely reduces competition in the market for broadcast rights.
In the next cycle, further concentration of power can be expected, with small pickings for those outside of the inner circle.
Pakistan reach 88-4 in Test opener against South Africa
- Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan remain unbeaten on 23, 10 respectively
- Pakistan skipper Babar Azam’s red-ball struggles continue as he scores only 4
CENTURION: Fast bowler Corbin Bosch made a dream test debut with a wicket on his first ball to provide South Africa a perfect start in the Boxing Day test against Pakistan on Thursday.
Bosch lured Pakistan captain Shan Masood (17) to play a lose drive and had him caught in the slips as Pakistan reached 88-4 at lunch on a seamer friendly SuperSport Park pitch, losing four wickets for 20 runs.
Bosch became the fifth South African bowler after Bert Vogler, Dane Piedt, Hardu Viljoen and Tshepo Moreki to claim a wicket with his first ball in test cricket.
Kamran Ghulam was unbeaten on 23, including a top-edged six over the wicketkeeper’s head against Bosch, and Mohammad Rizwan was not out on 10 at the break.
Masood and opening partner Saim Ayub (14) had thwarted the pace threat of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen in the first hour after captain Temba Bavuma won the toss under overcast conditions and elected to field.
But Bosch’s breakthrough saw Pakistan’s top-order crumble against the pace with Dane Paterson finding edges of Ayub and Babar Azam (4).
Babar, who was dropped for the last two test matches at home against England, has long been struggling in red-ball cricket. His struggles continued as he hit Bosch for a boundary of the first ball he faced before playing loosely to Paterson and getting caught in the slips after just 11 balls.
Left-hander Saud Shakeel (14) struck three fours against Paterson before Bosch had him caught down the leg-side off a sharp short pitch ball after South Africa successfully went for a television review.
Both teams packed their playing XIs with four fast bowlers each and didn’t include a specialist spinner at a venue where pace has dominated over the last six years.
South Africa, which leads the World Test Championship points table, needs a win in one of the two test matches against Pakistan to guarantee a place in next June’s final at Lord’s.
Seventh-place Pakistan included fast bowlers Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas and Aamer Jamal in its team.
Abbas made a comeback to test cricket after more than three years while Naseem returned after missing out the last two home tests against England in October.
Injury-prone Shahzad also missed out three home test matches against England, but got the nod ahead of left-arm pace bowler Mir Hamza.
Bridges outduels Wembanyama, Celtics lose again
- Knicks’ Bridges took the glory with a brilliant 15-point fourth-quarter display that left him with a season-high 41 points and the win
- Dallas Mavericks lost their Slovenian star Luka Doncic with a calf injury in the second quarter of their 105-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves
LOS ANGELES: Mikal Bridges and the New York Knicks edged Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs 117-114 in a Christmas Day thriller at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
French star Wembanyama put up 42 points with 18 rebounds and four blocks for the Spurs but Bridges took the glory with a brilliant 15-point fourth-quarter display that left him with a season-high 41 points and the win.
“It was great, man. I think just to feel the excitement from the crowd, my teammates, my coaches, this is who I play for,” Bridges told broadcaster ABC.
“They give me the energy, give me the confidence to go out there and play,” he added.
Wembanyama was just three points short of the Christmas debut scoring record of 45 set by Wilt Chamberlain in his rookie season in 1959.
The 20-year-old, who stands 7-foot-3 (2.21m), was 16-31 on shooting and made six of 16 three-point throws and while Bridges took the applause from the home crowd, he was quick to praise the Frenchman.
“From 40 feet out, from right under the rim, from 15 feet out, he’s just unbelievable, just to see what he’s doing, credit to him and how much work he has put in,” said Bridges.
The 28-year-old Bridges, who was traded from the Brooklyn Nets in July, shot 17-25 from the field and was six for nine on three-point attempts as his team improved to 20-10.
San Antonio were just a point behind with two minutes remaining before Bridges made back-to-back jumpers to open up a five-point lead.
Josh Hart came up big for New York at the death, grabbing two misses to ensure the win and leave the Spurs on a 15-15 record.
Karl-Anthony Towns with 21 points and Jalen Brunson with 20 points and nine assists were crucial for the Knicks in the win.
Jeremy Sochan supported Wembanyama with 21 points for the Spurs.
Defending champions the Boston Celtics (22-8) lost back-to-back games for the first time this season when they were upset at home by the Philadelphia 76ers 118-114.
Injury-prone 76ers star Joel Embiid hurt his ankle in a pregame fall but was able to start and showed his importance with 27 points, nine rebounds and the game clinching free throws at the end to clinch the win for the 11-17 Philadelphia.
Tyres Maxey scored 33 points and made 12 assists with his 13 points in the fourth quarter crucial as Philadelphia, who had led by 16 at the break, recovered from Boston’s third quarter rally.
Jayson Tatum top scored for the Celtics with 32 points and also grabbed 15 rebounds.
It was far from a Merry Christmas for the Dallas Mavericks who lost their Slovenian star Luka Doncic with a calf injury in the second quarter of their 105-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals.
Doncic, who had scored 14 points, limped out of the game and did not return. The Mavericks did manage a brave comeback attempt without him, before falling short.
Anthony Edwards put up 26 points for Minnesota.
The Timberwolves led 57-40 at the half and extended that advantage to 28-points before Dallas, led by Kyrie Irving who made 39 points, started to work their way back into the contest.
It was close at the end but Irving missed a three-point shot that would have given Dallas the lead in the last minute and a two-foot shot from Edwards and a pair of free throws from Julius Randle made sure of the win.
“Kyrie to me is the greatest point guard and so when he gets going, it’s tough to stop him,” said Edwards.
“We got a couple of big stops down the stretch and got some buckets so that helped us,” he added.
The Los Angeles Lakers scored a 115-113 road win over Golden State Warriors.
Lakers big man Anthony Davis didn’t return for Los Angeles against Golden State after spraining his left ankle midway through the first quarter. Davis stepped awkwardly and rolled the ankle while moving through the paint toward the Lakers basket and exited with 4:48 remaining in the quarter.
Sydney-Hobart yacht crews set off on gale-threatened race
- Race crews face rough weather and big waves as they move down Australia’s east coast, then tackle the notorious Bass Strait toward the Tasmanian state capital Hobart
- LawConnect and rival Comanche battled for the lead as crews vied to be first out of the harbor
SYDNEY: Crews of more than 100 yachts set sail Thursday on a “boat-breaking” Sydney-Hobart yacht race, with gale-force winds and high seas forecast for the grueling bluewater classic.
Under blue, mid-summer skies, spectators crowded onto boats and lined the shore of a breezy Sydney Harbor as a starting cannon set the fleet of 104 on a dash to the open ocean.
Race crews face rough weather and big waves as they move down Australia’s east coast, then tackle the notorious Bass Strait toward the Tasmanian state capital Hobart.
Weather is a critical factor in the 628-nautical mile event, first held in 1945.
Six men died, five boats sank and 55 sailors were rescued in 1998, when a deep depression exploded over the fleet in the Bass Strait.
“We are seeing strong wind warnings developing through the afternoon today and getting up to gale, so about 35 knots,” meteorologist Gabrielle Woodhouse said in the last briefing hours before the start.
A strong south-westerly change would move across Bass Strait early on Friday morning, potentially bringing showers, lightning, thunder, and waves of up to 4.0 meters (13 feet).
In the first minutes of the race, reigning line honors champion LawConnect and rival Comanche battled for the lead as crews vied to be first out of the harbor.
“These conditions are probably the worst forecast I’ve ever had to go through. The odds of boat damage are obviously very high,” LawConnect skipper Christian Beck said ahead of the race.
But the forecast conditions could favor LawConnect, he said.
“We’ve had a crew that’s been together for six years. We hope our crew is our main strength. The harder it is, the more that comes to our advantage,” Beck said.
LawConnect edged Comanche to win by just 51 seconds last year, and the two 100-foot supermaxis are again expected to battle for line honors.
“It’s going to be a fast and furious first night out there on our way down to Hobart,” said Matt Allen, co-skipper of Comanche, a four-time line honors champion and the race record holder.
“It’s probably going to be boat-breaking sort of conditions,” Allen said ahead of the race. “The really small boats are really going to cop it a few times in this race.”
Fellow skipper James Mayo said strategy would be key for Comanche, which surged over the finish line in one day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds to set a new mark in 2017.
“It’s about keeping the boat in one piece, you know there’s going to be some good rides,” Mayo said.
Two other supermaxis are entered — Wild Thing and Maritimo.
Alive, last year’s overall winner of the Tattersall Cup, which takes into account boat size and other factors, will again be in contention to defend its title.
Other previous overall winners in the fleet include Centennial 7 (formerly Celestial) and Love and War.
Lamar Jackson breaks NFL QB rushing record, accounts for 3 TDs in Ravens’ 31-2 romp over Texans
- Jackson threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 87 yards and another score
HOUSTON: Lamar Jackson broke the NFL career rushing record for quarterbacks in Baltimore’s 31-2 victory over the Houston Texans on Wednesday, bolstering his case for MVP as the Ravens moved closer to the AFC North title.
Jackson threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 87 yards and another score. He pushed his career rushing total to 6,110 to move past Michael Vick, who had 6,109 in his 13-year career.
The Ravens (11-5) have already wrapped up their third straight playoff berth and need a victory over Cleveland next week to win the division over Pittsburgh. The Steelers dropped a third straight with a loss to Kansas City on Wednesday.
Jackson, the MVP last season and in 2019, put on a show rivaled only by the spectacular Super Bowl-caliber halftime performance by Beyoncé to give Baltimore its third straight win. And he needed just more than three quarters to do it, giving way to Josh Johnson with about 10 minutes left and the game long decided.
Jackson threw 9- and 1-yard TD passes and was not touched on a 48-yard scoring scamper that made it 24-2 in the third quarter.
Derrick Henry ran for 147 yards and set the Ravens season record with his 16th touchdown on a 2-yard run in the first quarter. He eclipsed Ray Rice (2011) and Mark Ingram (2019).
Baltimore dominated a Houston team reeling after losing dynamic receiver Tank Dell to a season-ending knee injury Saturday.
The AFC South champs struggled to finish drives and got their only points on a safety in the second quarter. C.J. Stroud threw for 185 yards, but was sacked five times and threw an interception and Joe Mixon managed just 26 yards rushing as the Texans (9-7) lost a second straight.
Rookie Kamari Lassiter dropped Henry for a 4-yard loss for the safety with about 10 minutes left in the first half to cut the lead to 10-2.
Dameon Pierce then returned the kickoff 45 yards to get the Texans to their 43. But they came away empty when Mixon was stopped on the 1 after grabbing a short pass on fourth-and-3.
Jackson then orchestrated a 99-yard drive to pad the lead. He scrambled to evade the rush and found Mark Andrews for a 67-yard gain to get the Ravens in the red zone with just more than two minutes left in the first half.
Isaiah Likely’s 9-yard TD reception two plays later made it 17-2. It was the first 17-2 halftime score in NFL history.
Kyle Hamilton intercepted Stroud’s pass on the first drive of the second half. Two plays later, Jackson’s long TD run made it 24-2.
He set the rushing record on a 6-yard run on Baltimore’s next drive. Later in the drive, he scrambled to escape several defenders before finding Andrews for a 1-yard score to leave Baltimore up 31-2.
Injuries
Ravens RB Rasheen Ali injured his hip in the third quarter and didn’t return. … Texans TE Cade Stover returned after missing two games following an emergency appendectomy.
Up next
The Ravens host the Browns, and the Texans visit the Titans next weekend. The game dates have yet to be determined.
