F1 returns, and UAE used luxury cars stay strong

Welcome back. Motorsport is having another big moment on the big screen. On the back of the runaway success of Apple's F1 film, Netflix has just announced a MotoGP heist thriller, with Alan Ritchson and a Fast and Furious writer attached. More eyes on our sport is good for everyone in it, and it keeps pulling new fans toward the real thing.

F1 is back

And the real thing returns this weekend, as F1 comes out of its summer break at the last ever Dutch Grand Prix. Max Verstappen used his home Grand Prix to sign with Red Bull to the end of 2030, extending a deal that only ran to 2028. This halted the rumour mill, fuelled over the summer break by Max being seen on Toto Wolff's yacht in the south of France, that he could switch to Mercedes. But with Christian Horner gone, Laurent Mekies now in charge and many of the changes Max's camp wanted finally made, Red Bull have dug deep to keep him, even with the car off the pace under the new rules. The knock-on runs down the grid too. With no Red Bull seat opening up, Williams announced they would retain Carlos Sainz, although they have had to up his pay to 30 million euros, having likely prepared the big offer as Sainz was the name most tipped to replace Max, had he moved.

On the cars

We are about to get Q2 new car figures for the GCC, but the used market is the one to watch, and it stays resilient. The ultra-luxury end, 800,000 AED and up, is particularly strong, and we're seeing that at RMA Motors. High net worth individuals moving to and living in Dubai are far better insulated from the economic headwinds, the regional tensions with Iran included, so they simply keep buying the cars they want. It's reassuring the Dubai dream is still alive and well, with many already able or aspirational buyers still in the market. We are also seeing more of those bigger deals go through on newer payment methods, crypto among them, which we've already adapted our business to accept and welcome, and maturing financial services providing no-money-down deals with sensible interest rates.

Despite the conflict, the UAE is still set to attract more than two million new residents by 2030. The government made a compelling case to professionals, entrepreneurs and investors worldwide to move here before this conflict, and it's now likely to double down on those efforts. Whether drawn by enhanced golden visas, state business funding, or the billions going into new infrastructure like Palm Jebel Ali and Al Maktoum International Airport, that means more newcomers arriving and starting fresh here. In the car market, these families are often poorly served, as accessing finance in the early days is tough for anyone arriving with no local credit history. Expat families tend to buy used cars outright or take long-term rentals. It's a gap we'd like to see the banks close, potentially with state support, as they have with the new monthly rental packages.

Plenty more below, including the best bars and restaurants in Dubai to watch the F1. See you in a couple of weeks.

Will