Ross Brawn yet to decide next step

Ross Brawn is to wait until the summer before deciding whether to return to Formula One.

After 11 months of speculation, Mercedes-GP confirmed last week that the Englishman would be leaving his role as team principal at the end of the year.

Brawn had been in the role the previous four years after the German manufacturers had bought out Brawn-GP, the team he had run in 2009 when they won both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships that year.

He had previously won world titles in the role of technical director at both Benetton and Ferrari.

Brawn, 59, has been linked with jobs at Williams, McLaren, the FIA and Honda, who are to return to F1 in 2015 as an engine manufacturer.

But he told the International Business Times: “I really, genuinely, will see how things pan out in the next six, 12 months and make a decision.

“I’ll take some time off now and reflect on things and see if the juices start flowing again and next summer make a decision on if there’s any opportunities and things I want to do, or people offer me things to do.”

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Profile of Bitex UAE

Date of launch: November 2018

Founder: Monark Modi

Based: Business Bay, Dubai

Sector: Financial services

Size: Eight employees

Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings

While you're here

Joyce Karam: Chaotic first debate unlikely to swing undecideds

Hussein Ibish: Donald Trump's 3-step plan to cling to power

Sulaiman Hakemy: Make America lose again

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi

Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser

Rating: 4.5/5

Analysis

Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.

The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.

We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.