Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the French Grand Prix on Sunday and took a huge stride towards a second Formula One title after Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc crashed out of the race while leading from pole position.
Leclerc was in charge of the race before he sensationally lost control of his Ferrari through the right-hand Turn 11 and slammed into the tyre wall.
Verstappen took advantage of Leclerc’s demise to race unchallenged to the chequered flag, and extend his lead over the Ferrari driver from 38 points to 63. In his 300th Formula One appearance, Lewis Hamilton finished second to claim his best result of the season and his fourth podium in succession, while Mercedes teammate George Russell was third.
"I think we had really good pace from the start. I was putting pressure on Charles [Leclerc] but following around here, with this heat, the tyres were overheating a lot and I could never really go for a move," said Verstappen.
"We just tried to stay calm and stay close. We pitted a bit earlier and from there onwards you never know how the race was going to go.
"The car was quick today - of course, unlucky for Charles, I hope he is okay - but I just did my race and looked after the tyres.
"I always try to get the most points possible. Some moves, you see they are on, and sometimes you just have to back out and wait for the end of the race. That's what we did. There are plenty more races to come where you have to score points. In that aspect today was a great day."
Leclerc’s championship challenge appeared to be back on track after he built on his commanding win a fortnight ago in Austria with pole position in France.
But his response over the radio was emphatic after crashing out. “Nooooooooo,” he yelled, before later admitting it was driver error.
Asked if it was a mechanical failure, Leclerc replied: “No it doesn’t look like it was. It was just a mistake.”
As the crest-fallen Leclerc jumped on the back of a scooter, the safety car was deployed to remove his wounded Ferrari.
It opened the way for Hamilton, who had leapfrogged Perez at the start.
"I have to give it up to this big crowd, the biggest crowd we have had in France," said the seven-time world champion.
"It was a tough race because my drinks bottle didn't work but what a great result considering we've been so far off these guys all weekend.
"Reliability is one thing my team is amazing at so huge congratulations to the team back at the factories and the team here, without them we wouldn't get this podium. George did an amazing job as well.
"I didn't see my weight but I would imagine [lost] three kilos. I'm looking forward to downing this drink. I hope everyone back home had a good Sunday!"
Leclerc could be leading the championship, but for mechanical and strategical troubles, and a spin at Imola in April and his exit in France.
But he will head to next weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest – the last round before the summer break – the equivalent of two-and-a-half wins behind Verstappen with 10 rounds remaining.
Hamilton added: “"Budapest? I love it at Budapest. Super excited to see the crowd there. It will be hard to beat Ferrari and Red Bull, they have the pace advantage still but I'm hoping we bring upgrades to the track and hopefully step forward. Hopefully in that race, even closer."
Third-placed Russell said: "I am absolutely sweating, I am a bit knackered now to be honest. It was a long race, a tough race. The pace was strong but we really struggled with the warm-up on that restart, so I was glad to see that chequered flag and to come home P3."
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
more from Janine di Giovanni
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
RESULTS
Men – semi-finals
57kg – Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) beat Phuong Xuan Nguyen (VIE) 29-28; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) by points 30-27.
67kg – Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Huong The Nguyen (VIE) by points 30-27; Narin Wonglakhon (THA) v Mojtaba Taravati Aram (IRI) by points 29-28.
60kg – Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Amir Hosein Kaviani (IRI) 30-27; Long Doan Nguyen (VIE) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 29-28
63.5kg – Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Truong Cao Phat (VIE) 30-27; Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Norapat Khundam (THA) RSC round 3.
71kg – Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ) beat Fawzi Baltagi (LBN) 30-27; Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Man Kongsib (THA) 29-28
81kg – Ilyass Hbibali (UAE) beat Alexandr Tsarikov (KAZ) 29-28; Khaled Tarraf (LBN) beat Mustafa Al Tekreeti (IRQ) 30-27
86kg – Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Mohammed Al Qahtani (KSA) RSC round 1; Emil Umayev (KAZ) beat Ahmad Bahman (UAE) TKO round
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.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
