Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes celebrates on the podium after clinching third place at the Austrian Grand Prix on July 10, 2022. Getty
Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes celebrates on the podium after clinching third place at the Austrian Grand Prix on July 10, 2022. Getty
Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes celebrates on the podium after clinching third place at the Austrian Grand Prix on July 10, 2022. Getty
Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes celebrates on the podium after clinching third place at the Austrian Grand Prix on July 10, 2022. Getty

Are Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes back on track as they rev up for French Grand Prix?


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Are Mercedes finally on the march again?

That’s the big question ringing around the paddock as F1 heads for a French Grand Prix in the sweltering hills that run down to the Mediterranean.

And the same could be asked of Ferrari. With victory in Austria, Charles Leclerc bought to an end a bruising few months in which either the Ferrari cars, their drivers or their strategy proved desperately brittle.

So, as we step into the second half of the championship at Paul Ricard, it is salivating to suppose the new ground effect formula is finally coming good.

Some seasoned onlookers are convinced the nature of their performances as well as five podiums in six races confirm the rise of Mercedes.

After all, nailing down their slot as the third best team in F1 is pretty small change for the reigning constructors champions and their ambitions are far higher, even this far into the season.

Paul Ricard’s billiard table smooth surface plays to the strengths of the Silver Arrows and some ambitious souls believe talk of a Mercedes win should be on the agenda.

They cite the fact that Hamilton is apparently over his early season doldrums and joining Russell as a consistent force.

Charles Leclerc wins Austrian Grand Prix - in pictures

Even though any hope of winning the driver’s championship has clearly gone, my bet is all ambitions at Mercedes are focused on getting back to their winning ways primarily to be best set for a full-on title tilt in 2023.

Max Verstappen is just too consistent for them to bridge the gap even if regular front-running form returns.

Hamilton trails the world champion by 99 points and would have to average around 10 points MORE a race to get back into the reckoning. It’s just not feasible that the Red Bull racer would be that poor consistently even if Hamilton could hit the front regularly.

But the thought of refining this year’s difficult beast into one that can take him to a record eighth title in 2023 is surely what sustains Hamilton.

As for Ferrari, most of their history they have stood for style, elan, prestige, in fact pretty much everything positive, except reliability.

And history is repeating itself. Boss Mattia Binotto admitted he could not even watch the data screens for the final few laps in Austria after his driver reported throttle problems a few miles from home.

The thought of the eighth race in a row being squandered was just too much to bear.

But win they did and it’s interesting to reflect Leclerc had been confident from the day before the race that he had found the key to his issues after a particularly gruelling final practice session.

Austrian Grand Prix winner Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, second-placed Max Verstappen of Red Bull and third-placed Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes with Laurent Mekies, Scuderia Ferrari Sporting Director, on the podium on July 10, 2022 in Spielberg, Austria. Getty
Austrian Grand Prix winner Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, second-placed Max Verstappen of Red Bull and third-placed Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes with Laurent Mekies, Scuderia Ferrari Sporting Director, on the podium on July 10, 2022 in Spielberg, Austria. Getty

Going their own way and not being seduced into Red Bull’s games certainly seems part of it if Christian Horner’s words are to be believed.

Critics forget, though, that Maranello is coming off one of its worst seasons in 40 years so it makes more sense to view this year as a launch pad for greater glories in 2023. Not a point, I am sure, Leclerc is willing to entertain for a second.

So can he repeat his Zeltweg victory – to make it the first time this year Verstappen has lost consecutive races?

Paul Ricard has one of the longest corners in F1 while high track temperatures and an abrasive surface, which is a real tyre shredder, make strategy and tyre management as crucial as speed and reliability, aspects Ferrari have not proved masters of this year.

On the plus side, Ricard’s breadth means a history of dull races is unlikely as multiple racing lines should guarantee drama.

The track limits controversy is sure to elicit more complaints from drivers, though, because of Ricard’s lack of kerbs for safety reasons.

And the debate about fans booing is sure to continue with partisan feeling apparent between Verstappen and Hamilton fans. For my part, I am wholly in favour of it.

I thought it was hypocritical for the Mercedes champion to lash out publicly at stewards and with the next breath call for restraint from fans.

He wasn’t the only one. Fans are passionate and everyone welcomes cheering so they can hardly ban booing. Of course physical assaults are never excusable.

Analysis and criticism is, sadly, a fact of life. Get over it. The best response is not to moan but to win.

Sheer grandeur

The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.

A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.

The Equaliser 2

Director Antoine Fuqua

Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders

Three stars

if you go

The flights

Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.

The hotel

Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.

The tour

Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg

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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
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ILT20%20UAE%20stars
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2019 Haval H6

Price, base: Dh69,900

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

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THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Updated: July 21, 2022, 5:23 AM`