The 2025 Spanish Grand Prix played out under clear skies and the heat of the Catalan sun at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – a track renowned for exposing the strengths and weaknesses of both car and driver.
Long a cornerstone of the Formula One calendar, this year’s race lived up to its reputation, delivering high drama, championship-defining moments, and a showcase of standout performances.
It was a weekend defined by McLaren’s dominance, Max Verstappen’s controversies, and inspired drives from across the grid, making it one of the most eventful and revealing rounds of the season so far.
Here are the most interesting storylines from the weekend:
Piastri lays down title credentials
The third Maclaren driver to achieve eight consecutive podium finishes, Piastri once again demonstrated his skill with a textbook-perfect getaway off the line.
Piastri remained in command for much of the race, navigating a late safety car period triggered by Kimi Antonelli’s retirement. He handled the restart flawlessly, fending off pressure from teammate Lando Norris to secure a McLaren one-two finish.
With this win, Piastri extended his lead over his teammate to 10 points in the championship, further cementing his position as a serious title contender.
“I think the pace was really good, we could turn it on when we needed to," the Australian said after the race. "Just very proud of the work we’ve done this weekend. It wasn’t the best first practice, and then we got our stuff together. It’s a nice way to bounce back from Monaco, so it’s been a superb weekend.”
Norris, meanwhile, didn’t get the launch he was hoping for, dropping to third off the line. Once again, the McLaren driver showed signs of struggle with race starts, missing the opportunity to capitalise on his strong grid position.
Nonetheless, he achieved second place, but conceded: "I lost out to the better guy this weekend.”
Should Verstappen have been disqualified?
Verstappen’s Spanish Grand Prix fell apart in the closing stages, transforming a likely podium into a frustrating 10th-place finish.
Running a three-stop strategy to keep pressure on the McLarens ahead, he was on course for P3 before a late safety car, triggered by Kimi Antonelli’s engine failure, derailed his race. With no soft tyres left, Red Bull fitted hards, leaving Verstappen struggling for grip at the restart.
Charles Leclerc managed to pass him, despite light contact. Told to yield to George Russell for an earlier off-track move, Verstappen slowed to comply but then appeared to make contact with the Mercedes at Turn 5 deliberately. The stewards found him responsible for the incident, issuing a 10-second time penalty along with three penalty points on his super licence, raising his total to 11, just one point away from an automatic race ban.
Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, later admitted that it would have been better to have left Verstappen on the soft tyres rather than pitting him again.
George Rusell was asked for his summation of the incident: “My perspective is that I just got crashed into! I don’t really know why or what the thinking was behind it. In the end, I’m glad that I continued with little damage and ultimately it punished him a lot more than me.”
Former champion Nico Rosberg, commenting on the incident, felt that Verstappen ought to have been disqualified. “Red Bull told him to give up the place, that caused his blood to boil over even more. And then it looked like a very intentional retaliation ... that is something extremely unacceptable.”
Joy for Hulkenberg and Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg delivered a standout performance, finishing fifth and securing Sauber’s best result in three years. Despite being outqualified by his rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto for the fifth time this season, Hulkenberg once again demonstrated why his experience remains invaluable.
Some eyebrows were raised last year when Sauber, soon to become Audi’s works team, signed the then-36-year-old German to a multi-year deal. Now 37, Hulkenberg continues to prove the merit of that decision. When the points are on the table, he’s always challenging.
Starting in P15 after an early qualifying exit, he made swift progress through the field and opted for an early pit stop. Crucially, after switching to medium tyres, Hulkenberg stretched the stint to over 30 laps with impressive tyre management and composure, key to holding position in the closing stages.
His charge included a decisive overtake on Lewis Hamilton, and he was later promoted to fifth following Verstappen’s time penalty. The 10 points he scored lifted Sauber off the bottom of the constructors’ standings.
Part of the turnaround in Spain came courtesy of Sauber’s latest upgrade package, which was fitted exclusively to Hulkenberg’s car for Friday’s sessions. The early signs were promising, and the veteran immediately felt the benefit.
“The car felt good right from the start,” he said on Friday. “The upgrade package we brought for this weekend appears to be working as intended – the balance has improved, and I felt more confident behind the wheel straight away.”
Hamilton's struggles continue
“I've had a really bad day and have nothing to say. It was a difficult day,” said a disappointed Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton’s Spanish Grand Prix began on a high note but quickly took a turn for the worse. After matching his best qualifying performance of the season and starting fifth, he made an excellent getaway, overtaking Russell into Turn 1. But the momentum didn’t last; within nine laps, he was ordered to yield to teammate Charles Leclerc, a move that marked the start of a frustrating downward trajectory.
Despite managing car issues throughout practice, seven-time world champion Hamilton had been optimistic after qualifying, even suggesting he could fight for a podium. But on race day, he couldn’t keep up with the McLaren of Lando Norris and gradually slipped back. Leclerc, once past, surged to a surprise podium, while Hamilton faded.
Team boss Fred Vasseur later revealed Hamilton had suffered an unspecified problem with the car before the late safety car, though he gave no specifics.
As for Leclerc, he displayed strong pace throughout the race and positioned himself perfectly to take advantage when a late Safety Car came into play.
He seized the moment as Verstappen ahead of him struggled on the hard tyres. Pulling alongside the Red Bull on the main straight during the restart, there was slight contact between the two.
The incident was reviewed by the stewards, who ultimately deemed that “neither driver was wholly or predominantly to blame."
From there, Leclerc held firm in third place, securing a well-earned podium in the closing laps.
Will Hadjar be promoted?
Isack Hadjar continued his impressive rookie campaign, finishing seventh for Racing Bulls and earning points for the third race in a row. Starting from ninth after making it into Q3 for the third consecutive weekend, the young French-Algerian once again displayed remarkable composure.
Hadjar pulled off several daring overtakes, including a standout move on Pierre Gasly at Turn 3.
He said: "I'm really happy with today's race, it was a strong performance and almost perfect, something the whole team can be proud of. I really enjoyed the first stint, though it's a shame Nico got us right at the end.”
With 21 points this season, Hadjar is rapidly emerging as one of the most exciting and consistent rookies on the grid. It’s little surprise that speculation is mounting over Red Bull potentially promoting their rising talent. Will he take over from Yuki Tsunoda?
Tsunoda’s recent form has raised concerns, finishing 17th in Monaco and qualifying last in Spain. With mounting pressure and an apparent disconnect between driver and car, questions are growing over how much longer he can hold onto his seat before Red Bull’s famously unforgiving driver policy takes effect.
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
More coverage from the Future Forum
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More on Quran memorisation:
Long Shot
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan
Four stars
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
Brief scoreline:
Al Wahda 2
Al Menhali 27', Tagliabue 79'
Al Nassr 3
Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'
more from Janine di Giovanni
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2-litre%204-cylinder%20mild%20hybrid%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20S%20tronic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E265hp%20%2F%20195kW%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20370Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh260%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
EGYPT SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ahmed El Shennawy, Mohamed El Shennawy, Mohamed Abou-Gabal, Mahmoud Abdel Rehem "Genesh"
Defenders: Ahmed Elmohamady, Ahmed Hegazi, Omar Gaber, Ali Gazal, Ayman Ahsraf, Mahmoud Hamdy, Baher Elmohamady, Ahmed Ayman Mansour, Mahmoud Alaa, Ahmed Abou-Elfotouh
Midfielders: Walid Soliman, Abdallah El Said, Mohamed Elneny, Tarek Hamed, Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan, Amr Warda, Nabil Emad
Forwards: Ahmed Ali, Mohamed Salah, Marwan Mohsen, Ahmed "Kouka" Hassan.
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Major honours
ARSENAL
BARCELONA
- La Liga - 2013
- Copa del Rey - 2012
- Fifa Club World Cup - 2011
CHELSEA
- Premier League - 2015, 2017
- FA Cup - 2018
- League Cup - 2015
SPAIN
- World Cup - 2010
- European Championship - 2008, 2012
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETamer%20Ruggli%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadine%20Labaki%2C%20Fanny%20Ardant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Letswork%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOmar%20Almheiri%2C%20Hamza%20Khan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20co-working%20spaces%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.1%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20with%20investors%20including%20500%20Global%2C%20The%20Space%2C%20DTEC%20Ventures%20and%20other%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20about%2020%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
