Red Bull's triple Formula One world champion Max Verstappen beat the weather as well as his rivals to secure pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in a qualifying session halted by what he called “insane” conditions at Interlagos on Friday.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc joined Verstappen on the front row with the Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso third and fourth.
Verstappen was quick out of the pits as storm clouds loomed, getting a flying lap in to secure provisional pole before gusting winds, rain and flashes of lightning halted the track action.
“We didn’t know when it would hit in qualifying, we thought it would hit. This is of course insane weather,” said the 26-year-old, who secured his third title in Qatar last month and now has 11 poles for the season.
Verstappen, who will be chasing his record-extending 17th win of the season on Sunday and 52nd of his career, wasted no time at the start of the final phase and passed the Mercedes of last year's winner George Russell in the pitlane exit.
Leclerc, who had been on pole for the two previous races, was 0.294 slower.
“In my own career I have never experienced something like that. From Turn Four onwards there was no rain but the car was extremely difficult to drive, no grip,” said the Monegasque.
“I was thinking about just coming in at the end of the lap but then I finished and then P2. So it's a really good surprise. It's a very weird one for everyone out on track today.”
Stroll, who will be starting in the top three for only the fourth time in his career, said it had been a really tricky session.
“We were fortunate with the rain that came in, we got our lap in early,” said the Canadian.
The governing FIA stopped the clock with four minutes remaining, after McLaren's Oscar Piastri had slid off, and said the session would not be restarted.
Ironically, qualifying had been delayed by 15 minutes – enough time to beat the cloudburst – to allow the track to be cleaned.
Mercedes' seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth with Russell initially sixth but later demoted two positions for impeding.
That lifted McLaren's Lando Norris to sixth, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz seventh.
“I did the best I could, hopefully we'll have a better race,” said Hamilton. Russell, now set to start eighth, said the conditions were “absolutely crazy”.
“I've never, ever seen a change of weather so drastic as that,” said the Briton. “I was just sliding around, I had no grip … I actually wanted to pit because I was confident I was going to be last.”
Norris had been fastest in the second phase and looking like a pole contender.
“Pretty gutted,” said the Briton. “I don't know what to feel about it. I think the car was amazing, it came alive a lot in qualifying. Easily good enough to be quickest, I'd say … not a lot we could have done.”
Red Bull's Sergio Perez, battling Hamilton for second overall in the championship but only 20 points ahead, was forced to slow on his lap after Piastri went off and qualified ninth.
“We were just incredibly unlucky today,” said the Mexican. “We should have been on the front row.”
Piastri, 10th, said he had just lost a lot of grip as the rain began to fall.
“It's been a good day in terms of pace, just obviously this weather's thrown a spanner in the works,” he said.
Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly were also handed two place drops for impeding after qualifying 12th and 13th respectively.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo, fourth on the grid for AlphaTauri at the previous race in Mexico, qualified only 17th this time.
Interlagos is hosting F1's final sprint weekend of the season, with Sunday's grand prix grid set on Friday while Saturday's schedule features a sprint qualifying 'shoot-out' followed by a stand-alone 100km race.
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
57%20Seconds
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The five pillars of Islam
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier, in Bangkok
UAE fixtures Mon Nov 20, v China; Tue Nov 21, v Thailand; Thu Nov 23, v Nepal; Fri Nov 24, v Hong Kong; Sun Nov 26, v Malaysia; Mon Nov 27, Final
(The winners will progress to the Global Qualifier)
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 715bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,289,376
On sale: now
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
Bharatanatyam
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: Audi e-tron
Price, base: From Dh325,000 (estimate)
Engine: Twin electric motors and 95kWh battery pack
Transmission: Single-speed auto
Power: 408hp
Torque: 664Nm
Range: 400 kilometres
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
