Jonathan Beale

And he was the most human of Formula One team owners in an environment rightly known as the Piranha Club, a one-off, a unique character.

And he was the most human of Formula One team owners in an environment rightly known as the Piranha Club, a one-off, a unique character.

It's a very good question. He's 39 years old. He's over six foot tall. He's bearded. He's charismatic in the way of a kind of old-fashioned tribal Saudi prince. He's a workaholic. He likes to stay up for much of the night. He will summon visitors at one o'clock in the morning if that suits him. He is a man on a mission to change his country as quickly as he can. And I think he feels that he's in a

It's a very good question. He's 39 years old. He's over six foot tall. He's bearded. He's charismatic in the way of a kind of old-fashioned tribal Saudi prince. He's a workaholic. He likes to stay up for much of the night. He will summon visitors at one o'clock in the morning if that suits him. He is a man on a mission to change his country as quickly as he can. And I think he feels that he's in a

a race against time to do that. And that may be one of the things which made him appeal to his own father, King Salman, in terms of who was going to be his heir. King Salman had plenty of other sons to choose from. MBS is the chosen one.

a race against time to do that. And that may be one of the things which made him appeal to his own father, King Salman, in terms of who was going to be his heir. King Salman had plenty of other sons to choose from. MBS is the chosen one.

He's the heir to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which makes him in charge of the world's biggest exporter of oil and one of the world's biggest importers of weapons.

He's the heir to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which makes him in charge of the world's biggest exporter of oil and one of the world's biggest importers of weapons.

Yes. The king is now 89 years old. And the iller his father has become, and this isn't something that is talked about openly in Saudi Arabia, but is sort of widely acknowledged by those in the know, the more power MBS has accrued. So he's been crown prince since 2017. And then in 2022, he was made prime minister. Nobody's in any doubt in Saudi Arabia who rules the roost.

Yes. The king is now 89 years old. And the iller his father has become, and this isn't something that is talked about openly in Saudi Arabia, but is sort of widely acknowledged by those in the know, the more power MBS has accrued. So he's been crown prince since 2017. And then in 2022, he was made prime minister. Nobody's in any doubt in Saudi Arabia who rules the roost.

And he's not just in charge of an absolute monarchy where there are no political parties and no demonstrations about anything, but he also has an unprecedented degree of power even within that system. because he has sidelined potential rivals, curbed the power of Islamic clerics, and put the frighteners up, the business community, who have all had to step into line.

And he's not just in charge of an absolute monarchy where there are no political parties and no demonstrations about anything, but he also has an unprecedented degree of power even within that system. because he has sidelined potential rivals, curbed the power of Islamic clerics, and put the frighteners up, the business community, who have all had to step into line.

MBS, as he's known, Mohammed bin Salman, has compared himself with Alexander the Great. I mean, clearly, that impulsiveness is evident from a series of events. from 2015 when his father became king. And the question is, has he changed?

MBS, as he's known, Mohammed bin Salman, has compared himself with Alexander the Great. I mean, clearly, that impulsiveness is evident from a series of events. from 2015 when his father became king. And the question is, has he changed?

Well, there were various things that were different about the way MBS went to war in Yemen. First of all, he dispatched with the usual slow, rather conservative way of making decisions in Saudi Arabia, where people sit around and talk about it for a long time. He didn't do that. He didn't consult the Americans to any significant extent.

Well, there were various things that were different about the way MBS went to war in Yemen. First of all, he dispatched with the usual slow, rather conservative way of making decisions in Saudi Arabia, where people sit around and talk about it for a long time. He didn't do that. He didn't consult the Americans to any significant extent.

A former British ambassador to Saudi Arabia told me that the Americans were given 24, 48 hours' notice that the war was going to take place, which was his way, I think MBS's way, of saying that he was independent from Washington. And 350,000 dead, perhaps. A large number of people killed either in the conflict itself or in the subsequent starvation of the people.

A former British ambassador to Saudi Arabia told me that the Americans were given 24, 48 hours' notice that the war was going to take place, which was his way, I think MBS's way, of saying that he was independent from Washington. And 350,000 dead, perhaps. A large number of people killed either in the conflict itself or in the subsequent starvation of the people.

So an incredibly controversial war, which MBS has struggled to get himself out of.

So an incredibly controversial war, which MBS has struggled to get himself out of.