Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein, reigning Formula E world champion, left Indonesian capital Jakarta last weekend with his hopes of back-to-back crowns in a bad shape following his fifth non-score of the season.
He now has just four races left to overhaul the 69-point gap to season leader Oliver Rowland of Nissan.
It’s a tough ask, with just 116 points left to play for before Season 11’s chequered flag in London next month - a double header on July 26-27. But the German is approaching the end of the season with pragmatism.
“I think it's a good time to reset, and have a bit of a rest,” he said in Jakarta. “Definitely the last couple of weeks have been very busy.
“The focus is, already since Shanghai, to be honest, not on the drivers’ championship anymore. Obviously, we [will] try to do as good as we can, and fight until the end. But, realistically, the gap has always been quite big.
“The focus is on the manufacturers’ and on the teams’ championship, which is just as important to the team than the drivers’ championships. So, yeah, that's where we are, and that's what we will try to do in the last couple of races. Have a good end to the season, try to secure the two championships there.”
Wehrlein came into Jakarta’s ePrix on the back foot, with the event just one week after his Le Mans 24 Hours debut, the world’s most prestigious endurance race. Wehrlein and teammates Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy drove the Porsche Penske Motorsport hypercar to eighth place overall.
But the German-Mauritian enjoyed racing through the night in France, and then arrived in Indonesia as fresh as could be expected.
“Yeah, was a great experience,” said Wehrlein, who also logged 39 starts between 2016 and 2017 for Manor and Sauber in Formula One.
“It was a great journey because it started already a long time ago, with my first test in Daytona, and then also the race in Daytona for JDC [JDC Miller Motorsports]. The cars are awesome. I really enjoyed it.
“Obviously, since 2018-19, I was only driving in the Formula E series, so I really enjoyed coming back to other cars and you know, having that sound again. Different track. Going to bed in the evening with a small tinnitus in the ears, and just going back to something I really enjoyed in the past like [German series] DTM, for example – so racing a touring car or prototype, so it was great fun.”
But, Jakarta was a step back with Wehrlein finishing 11th, immediately behind the man he has got to catch - Nissan’s Rowland. It was a missed opportunity for a standout result on a day when his title rival faltered.
“It's quite a poor race after the qualifying we had,” Wehrlein said. “We knew it was going to be difficult, that overtaking is almost impossible if you're in the same power mode [as your rival]. Yeah, just a poor qualifying, which resulted into yeah, the poor day we had.
“In the morning, we were very competitive. Yeah, the track conditions were insane. It was so dirty, actually, was it's more difficult to see something than in wet conditions just because of all the dust. Going a bit offline, there's a huge penalty, so it makes overtaking even more tricky, and it caught us in qualifying. I just went with my rear tyre a bit on the dust and lost the car. So yeah, that meant we were poor in qualifying and then after the penalty [for slowing down to create a gap] even worse.”
Wehrlein and his Porsche Formula E teammate Antonio Felix da Costa head home to Berlin next month for the first of two double headers on July 12 and 13 before moving to the London finale just two weeks later.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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
Results
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Quick%20facts
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
The years Ramadan fell in May
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
'O'
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Sweet%20Tooth
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THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
