F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Verstappen takes pole in qualifying for the season finale – as it happened

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Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a vital first step in attempting to clinch the world championship in the decisive season-finale at Yas Marina.His title rivals – McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri – took second and third in a competitive and tense qualifying session, with the protagonists in three-way title fight duking it out for the top spots on the grid.Norris still holds the advantage as they enter the final rubber.Leading the championship, he is 12 points in front of Verstappen and 16 clear of Piastri.Norris will claim his debut F1 title and become the 11th British driver to do so if he finishes in front of both his rivals or claims third place or better.

Verstappen would need to win and hope Norris finishes outside the podium places.Piastri would need to win and have his teammate finish sixth or lower.Simon Lazenby’s voice is faltering.And so are my fingers.Giles Richards’ report from Abu Dhabi will be with us soon.

Verstappen’s constant feedback is key, Collins argues,That’s how Red Bull can turn around the improvements from FP3 so quickly,Bernie Collins and Nico Rosberg focus on the lack of pressure on Verstappen compared with Norris,Nico Rosberg is praising Lando Norris for that front-row lap,“He did an amazing job.

”So our grid:1.Max Verstappen2.Lando Norris3.Oscar Piastri4.George Russell5.

Charles Leclerc6.Fernando Alonso7.Gabriel Bortoleto8.Esteban Ocon9.Isack Hadjar10.

Yuki Tsunoda,11,Oliver Bearman12,Carlos Sainz13,Liam Lawson14.

Kimi Antonelli15.Lance Stroll16.Lewis Hamilton17.Alexander Albon18.Nico Hülkenberg19.

Pierre Gasly20.Franco ColapintoBenson Boone (me neither) presents Verstappen with the pole position trophy.“We need a bit of luck with what is happening behind us,” says Verstappen.That’s the truth.Piastri hedges on whether he can get past the men in front of him.

Piastri knows the odds are against him.Norris’s turn.“It’s tough.Max did a good job … Disappointed not to be on pole.” He ducks the question of whether he wants a win or a podium to start with, then says he wants the win tooVerstappen speaks.

“In Q2 I stayed in scrub tyres, in Q3 we could push … We maximised everything we could … We did all we could.”Zak Brown looks pretty happy.Norris looks a bit distant.He knows he’s close, but has nothing to celebrate yet.He is the man with everything to lose.

Kelly Brook congratulating Verstappen.I should mention that George Russell is fourth.Kevin Cassingham writes: “It feels like Verstappen on pole is ideal for Norris.Let him shoot up the road and Norris can just concentrate on the podium.” Certainly better for him than Piastri on the front row.

The Red Bull garage is jumping.Piastri sounds quite low-key, as you’d expect.Verstappen 1:22.207, Norris +0.201, Piastri +0.

230Piastri is on his last lap.Norris going well too, Verstappen just fastest.Out laps for the McLarens on new tyres.This is it.Brundle reckons the tow could have already given Verstappen pole.

He’s 0,327 faster than Piastri, 0,456 better than Norris,Red Bull trying to use Tsunoda to give Verstappen a tow, it seems,A rare contribution from the Japanese.

Verstappen comes in at 1min 22.295.Norris 1min 22.751 but on old tyres.Piastri 1min 22.

622, again on old tyres.Q3 is go.Verstappen, with two sets of new tyres to play with, is fastest in the first sector for the whole of qualifying.Lewis Hamilton all but lost for words.So sad to see.

Red Bull’s Laurent Mekies pleased to see Hadjar, next year’s number two driver, rejoicing in his seventh place,“There will be a few cars in the mix for pole,” he thinks, given three-tenths covers the top 10,Sven Verelst writes: “Why is Spa so slow? Because there is a bus stop on the road,”Only one picture of that chicane, here’s Rubens Barrichello in 2002,Antonelli out, 13 places worse off than Russell.

The Italian is baffled by what went wrong.Piastri down in eighth.Norris stays third and abandons his lap, to preserve his tyres.Norris on his final lap.Should be fine.

Sainz, Lawson, Antonelli, Stroll and Bearman in the drop zone.Two and a half minutes to go.If the cutoff time is right then Russell, Verstappen and Norris are through.Predicted knockout time is 1min 23.0000000000.

Hadjar, Tsunoda, Antonelli, Bearman and Lawson in the drop zone.Leclerc only manages 10th.Ferrari really want 2025 to end, roll on the new regulations.Piastri comes through in fourth but Norris is back on, slipping into second till Verstappen knocks him down.
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Jamie Oliver to relaunch Italian restaurant chain in UK six years after collapse

Jamie Oliver is to revive his Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain in the UK, more than six years after the celebrity chef’s brand collapsed.Jamie’s Italian is poised to be relaunched in the spring, starting with a restaurant in London’s Leicester Square.Oliver’s return to the UK restaurant scene is being backed by Brava Hospitality Group – the private equity-backed group that runs the Prezzo chain – which intends to relaunch the brand across the UK.“As a chef, having the chance to return to the high street is incredibly important to me,” he said. “I will drive the menus, make sure the sourcing is right, the staff training, and ensure the look and feel of the restaurant is brought to life in the right way

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Maximum protein, minimal carbs: why gym bros are flocking to Australia’s charcoal chicken shops

From El Jannah’s webpage dedicated to ‘health-conscious individuals’ to Habibi Chicken’s ‘Gym Bro’ pack, businesses are catering to the post-leg day crowdGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailPopularised in Australia by Balkan and Lebanese immigrants, charcoal chicken has long been part of our comfort-food canon. But recently, the humble chicken shop has had a renaissance – driven by fresh takes on the classics, the expansion of longstanding chains and a surge of protein-conscious gym goers.In June, charcoal chicken chain El Jannah, which has more than 50 stores, launched a page on its website dedicated to protein and macros – complete with recommendations for the best post-leg day order – a clear nod to the fitness crowd.In Wagga Wagga, Habibi Chicken has a “Gym Bro” pack – a half or quarter chicken, tabbouleh, pita and toum, no chips. Co-owner Mariam Rehman says it’s a top seller, designed to maximise protein and reduce carbs

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Helen Goh’s recipe for edible Christmas baubles | The sweet spot

These edible baubles make a joyful addition to the Christmas table or tree. Soft, chewy, marshmallow-coated Rice Krispies are studded with pistachios and cranberries, chocolate and ginger, or peppermint candy cane; they’re as fun to make as they are to eat, and they make a perfect little gift. To add a ribbon for hanging, cut small lengths of ribbon, then loop and knot the ends. Push the knotted end gently into the top of each ball while it’s still pliable, then reshape around it, so it holds the knot securely as it sets. Alternatively, wrap each bauble in cellophane, then gather at the top and tie with a ribbon, leaving a long loop for hanging

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A gentle trade in edible gifts binds communities together

A guest at our restaurant recently told me about her mother’s seasonal side hustle, though no one would have dared call it that out loud: in the weeks before Christmas, she became a quiet merchant of puddings. The proper kind of pudding, too: all dense but not leaden, heavy with prunes and warm with careful spicing.As December crept in, forgotten cousins and semi-estranged uncles seemed to find reasons to drop by her place. She never advertised the fact, of course, but everyone knew that if you came bearing even a modest offering, you might just leave with a pudding wrapped in waxed paper and still warm with possibility. The exchanges were subtle

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Chocolate tart and zabaglione: Angela Hartnett’s easy make-ahead Christmas desserts – recipes

When you’re the cook of the house, you spend quite enough time in the kitchen on Christmas Day as it is. And, after those time-consuming nibbles, the smoked salmon starter and the turkey-with-all-the-trimmings main event, the last thing you want is a pudding that demands even more hands-on time at the culinary coalface. For me, the main requirement of any Christmas dessert is that it can be made well in advance, not least because, by the time the pudding stage comes around, I’ll be completely knackered and more than ready to put up my feet and finally relax (or, more likely, fall asleep on the sofa).Prep 15 minRest 3 hr+Cook 40 minServes 6-8For the sweet pastry500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 150g caster sugar 250g cold butter, diced2-3 eggs, lightly beatenFor the filling640g 70%-cocoa dark chocolate, broken into small pieces800ml double cream 64g glucose syrup 64g cold butter, cubed 100g roasted hazelnuts, lightly choppedPut the flour and sugar in a large bowl, stir to combine, then add the diced butter and work it in with your fingertips until the mix takes on the consistency of rough breadcrumbs. Add two of the beaten eggs, then mix until the dough comes together into a ball; if need be, add the third beaten egg, but take great care not to overwork the dough

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I called my recipe book Sabzi – vegetables. But the name was trademarked. And my legal ordeal began

Vegetables, in my experience, rarely cause controversy. Yet last month I found myself in the middle of a legal storm over who gets to own the word sabzi – the Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Persian, Dari and Pashto word for cooked veg or fresh greens. It was a story as absurd as it was stressful, a chain of delis threatened me with legal action over the title of a book I had spent years creating. But what began as a personal legal headache soon morphed into something bigger, a story about how power and privilege still dominate conversations about cultural ownership in the UK.When the email first landed in my inbox, I assumed it must be a wind-up