Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc storms to Bahrain GP pole


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Charles Leclerc took pole position for the opening round of the Formula One season after edging out world champion Max Verstappen – with Lewis Hamilton struggling in fifth.

Ferrari’s Leclerc beat Verstappen by 0.123 seconds in qualifying for Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix, with Carlos Sainz third in the other scarlet car.

Ferrari have not won a race since the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix but have been hyped by rivals as early favourites in Formula One’s new era, featuring cars designed to radically new rules aimed at improving the racing spectacle.

"It feels good! The last two years have been incredibly difficult for the team," said Leclerc, who took the 10th Formula One pole of his career.

Sergio Perez took fourth with Hamilton next up, 0.680 seconds back. Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate George Russell finished only ninth, a further second adrift.

Hamilton arrived for the curtain raiser fearing his Mercedes machine would not be a contender for victory.

And the seven-time world champion’s concerns became reality under the thousands of bulbs that light up the Sakhir Circuit.

And while Hamilton’s Mercedes team might have dominated in recent times, winning the past eight constructors’ championships, they are behind both Ferrari and Red Bull in the pecking order.

Ferrari will be delighted to have delivered on their encouraging pre-season from, with Leclerc claiming his first pole position since last year’s Monaco Grand Prix.

Second place qualifier Max Verstappen climbs from his car in Bahrain. Getty
Second place qualifier Max Verstappen climbs from his car in Bahrain. Getty

Leclerc, 24, bidding to become Ferrari’s first world champion since Kimi Raikkonen triumphed for the Italian team in 2007, added: "We hoped this would be a season where we would be back at the front so I am very happy with today.

“There is definitely much more to come from this car. It is not going to be easy tomorrow but hopefully we will have a good race.”

Verstappen said: “It was all right. We have a good race car which at the end of the day is the most important thing and it is a good start.”

Valtteri Bottas finished an impressive sixth on his Alfa Romeo debut with Kevin Magnussen, who replaced the sacked Russian driver Nikita Mazepin, seventh for Haas.

Daniel Ricciardo is unlikely to look back on his first season at McLaren with too much fondness, and his second campaign started in miserable fashion.

The seven-time race winner was knocked out in Q1, and finished seven tenths slower than British driver Lando Norris in the other McLaren.

Norris qualified only 13th on a dissatisfactory Saturday in what is effectively a second home race for the Bahrain-owned team.

Over at Aston Martin, the picture was even more alarming. The team are starting the second of owner Lawrence Stroll’s five-year plan to become world champions, but Nico Hulkenberg – replacing Sebastian Vettel after the four-time drivers’ champion was ruled out with Covid – finished 17th, two places ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll.

There was better news for the returning Alexander Albon. Sidelined for a season after he was dropped by Red Bull, the London-born Albon, who has assumed friend Russell’s seat at Williams, out-qualified team-mate Nicholas Latifi by nine tenths and is set to start 14th.

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The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

The specs

Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Kerb weight: 1580kg

Price: From Dh750k

On sale: via special order

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Uefa Champions League Group B

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Take Me Apart

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(Warp)

PAKISTAN SQUAD

Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah. 

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  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 

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Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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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

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- 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.

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.

 

Scoreline

Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')

Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')

Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'

IF YOU GO
 
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
 
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info

 Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.

Why your domicile status is important

Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.

Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born. 

UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.

A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
About Housecall

Date started: July 2020

Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: HealthTech

# of staff: 10

Funding to date: Self-funded

The low down

Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films

Director: Namrata Singh Gujral

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark

Rating: 2/5

About RuPay

A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank

RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards

It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.

In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments

The name blends two words rupee and payment

Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs

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Updated: March 20, 2022, 4:55 AM