Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
Being 17 points adrift after two rounds of the Formula One season is unlikely to faze Lewis Hamilton too much.
He was 25 down on Sebastian Vettel after six races of the 2017 campaign, took the outright lead of the championship for the first time only in September and still won his fourth title with two races to spare.
But, saying that Hamilton will really not want Ferrari and Vettel’s confidence to grow any further with another win in China this weekend.
Vettel has won the opening two races, despite the Ferrari arguably not being the quickest overall package, and he goes to Shanghai on a high as he looks to achieve the 50th victory of his career.
Barring a retirement from the race for Vettel it is unlikely that Hamilton will be arriving in Azerbaijan at the end of the month for the fourth round of the season at the top of the standings.
That will not be the immediate goal for Hamilton this weekend. Just getting back to winning ways will be the fundamental objective.
Including the final three races of 2017, Hamilton is on a winless run of five races.
It is not a crisis. Well at least not yet, as events conspired to deny him in the first two races.
A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period wrecked his victory chances in the season opener in Australia as he had to settle for second, while a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change in Bahrain left him with too much to do from ninth place and third was a satisfactory result from there.
Shanghai has been a happy hunting ground for Hamilton in the past, and he needs it to be again on Sunday.
Hamilton is the most successful driver in the race’s history, with five wins to his name, three of which have come in the past four years.
Last year he and Mercedes struggled in the opening races as Vettel and Ferrari, on race pace, had the edge on them. China was only one of the opening four races that Hamilton won and it helped him give him belief as Vettel threatened to take control of the championship.
Historically making a slow start to the season, in terms of race triumphs, also makes it very hard for a driver to go on and be world champion.
Only twice in the past 28 years, in 2012 (Vettel) and 2003 (Michael Schumacher) has a driver not won any of the opening three races of the season and still gone on to finish the year at the top of the standings.
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Sebastian Vettel thought Valtteri Bottas 'would catch' him before winning Bahrain Grand Prix
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Now, as said before, there is no need yet for Hamilton supporters to panic. The Mercedes is still an extremely quick package and could, and maybe should have, won both the opening two races.
Hamilton was quicker than the Ferraris in Australia until the VSC bumped Vettel ahead of him.
Ferrari were faster in qualifying then Mercedes, but the German marque were kinder to their tyres in the race and were able to pressurise Vettel.
Hamilton's teammate Valtteri Bottas hounded Vettel in the closing laps in Sakhir, but was unable to get past the German.
Hamilton was only six seconds behind when Vettel crossed the finish line, and he could rightly wonder what he might have been able to do had he not lost time in the opening laps having to make up ground from ninth place on the grid.
The outcomes of those races cannot be unchanged but it does highlight one thing for Mercedes.
If they do not have a perfect weekend they are beatable. They are quick, but not fast enough to overcome an errant VSC period or a grid penalty falling their way.
What Hamilton desperately needs in Shanghai is a normal weekend. No dramas, just a simple set of practice sessions, a good qualifying session and then a straightforward race.
If he gets that then there is every chance he will back stood on top of the podium on Sunday afternoon and have checked Vettel’s momentum.
But, if he does suffer more drama then things will get tougher for him, and history at least, says the path to a fifth world title may just be that little bit harder.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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.
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Spider-Man: No Way Home
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon
Rating:*****
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
More coverage from the Future Forum
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
HAJJAN
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
