Despite failing to make it a hat-trick of wins to start the season, Sebastian Vettel can still be pleased with an impressive performance at the Chinese Grand Prix last Sunday under difficult circumstances.
Even though the Ferrari man did not win in Shanghai he reaffirmed his title credentials and left few in doubt he is a serious contender to end the Mercedes-GP dominance of the Formula One drivers’ championship this year.
Vettel started the race on pole and only poor tactics on the pit wall from his Ferrari team lost him the lead mid-race to Valtteri Bottas. Finishing down in eighth from second place was down largely to circumstances outside his control.
The safety car period allowed Red Bull Racing to change both their drivers to a more aggressive tyre strategy and it left Vettel powerless to defend from the Austrian team’s cars. Vettel drove maturely, accepting his situation, and did not put up a fight when Daniel Ricciardo breezed past him.
Unfortunately the second Red Bull of Max Verstappen made a mess of his overtaking attempt and spun around Vettel, damaging the Ferrari in the process, forcing the German to nurse his limp car home.
What was impressive was that Vettel did not lose his cool over the incidents, at least not in public.
Vettel’s fiery temperament has become a noticeable trait in recent seasons.
From confronting Daniil Kvyat post-race in China two years ago over what he perceived as a dangerous passing move by the Russian, to shouting abusive messages at F1 race director Charlie Whiting in Mexico 2016, to steering his car into Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes behind the safety car in Azerbaijan last year, the German hasn't exactly covered himself in glory.
But in China it was refreshing to hear Vettel react calmly to an incident that was not his fault, but cost him championship points.
“I don’t need to say anything,” was Vettel’s response on the radio to the collision with Verstappen, which by previous standards was a conservative response to say the least.
Hopefully this is a sign that Vettel is learning that losing his cool behind the wheel, while entertaining to the outside world, is a detriment to his prospects of more championship titles.
Undeniably Vettel's outbursts and petulance hurt his prospects of winning a fifth world drivers’ title, and Ferrari’s first since 2008, last year. He threw away a race win in Azerbaijan following his collision with Hamilton. He had been behind his fellow four-time world champion at the time and Hamilton would go on to have a technical problem that dropped him down the order.
Vettel was penalised for dangerous driving and had to serve a 10-second stop and go penalty in the pits, resulting in a fourth-place finish when he could have won if he had kept his cool.
Poor reliability in his Ferrari and the improved form of Hamilton in the second half of the season did for Vettel’s title prospects in 2017, but if it had been nip and tuck all the way to the end of the year those 13 points he chucked away in Azerbaijan would ultimately prove costly.
Vettel’s past behaviour, including the fractious relationship with Mark Webber at Red Bull, detracts from his superb driving skills. He remains the only driver to have won a race for backmarkers Toro Rosso. He dominated at Red Bull, where he won all four of his drivers' titles, and he has proven to be a good figurehead for Ferrari’s challenge.
His calm demeanour on Sunday may not just be down to a new attitude, however. Backed by a powerful-performing Ferrari, coupled with Hamilton's poor start to the campaign, Vettel knows he is in a great position to win his first world title since 2013.
The Italian marque's race pace has been great, but Vettel’s qualifying form is equally impressive. Starting at the front gives more strategy options and the ability to control the race, and Vettel has made a good job of that so far.
It is easier to be calmer when things are going well, but hopefully Vettel’s new mature outlook is a sign of a more permanent change for him.
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Read more on F1:
The National at 10: Emirates takes pole position on the world’s sporting circuit
Comment: Daniel Ricciardo proves in China he remains Formula One's ultimate opportunist
Graham Caygill: Hamilton can win in China and keep Vettel's progress in check if there are no dramas
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
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The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
TALE OF THE TAPE
Manny Pacquiao
Record: 59-6-2 (38 KOs)
Age: 38
Weight: 146lbs
Height: 166cm
Reach: 170cm
Jeff Horn
Record: 16-0-1 (11 KOs)
Age: 29
Weight: 146.2lbs
Height: 175cm
Reach: 173cm
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
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
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
PRISCILLA
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Sofia%20Coppola%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Cailee%20Spaeny%2C%20Jacob%20Elordi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
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
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
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
ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail
