After the rain-lashed disaster that was last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, Formula One’s return to the Ardennes signals the start of a frantic second half of the season with the drama already well under way.
And given Max Verstappen’s gargantuan 80-point lead, Ferrari need a drastic and sustained turnaround if they are to have any chance of becoming champions in 2022.
To put that advantage into perspective, Charles Leclerc could win the remaining nine races and still not become champion if the Dutchman is second each time.
Incredibly, there is not much between the rivals in terms of talent or machinery except that Ferrari have shown a disastrous propensity to throw away winning potential.
Six times they have done so while Verstappen, in contrast, has been almost robotic in his reliability.
Leclerc’s own mistakes in Imola and France cost him dearly, but usually it has been the team’s strategy and reliability at fault.
Under pressure, it seems, they crack and that’s not the modus operandi to take into a rescue mission over one of the most intense periods in the sport’s history: nine races in 12 weeks start with what are effectively two home races for Verstappen at Spa and Zandvoort.
Although there is an established hierarchy, with Red Bull and Ferrari chased by Mercedes, there is cause to believe Sunday’s race could see a total re-set.
The leading duo’s advantage was supposedly down to a questionable interpretation of the aero rules for the underside of the cars associated with the infamous bouncing.
It’s one of those cases where the design is not exactly illegal but, their rivals claim, definitely not within the spirit of the regulations.
Having been spotted by the FIA, the loophole has been closed for Spa onwards and it’ll be interesting to see who suffers most.
Gallery: Lewis Hamilton visits Kenya
Paddock thinking has it that Mercedes will be the biggest beneficiaries because they had not used the loophole while Ferrari and Red Bull had.
So could the champions suddenly go on a winning spree? They recorded their first double podium at the last race in Hungary and George Russell started from pole. Will the rule change be the final jigsaw piece that makes them winners?
Lewis Hamilton’s will certainly be hoping so; his car has been so bad at times 2022 threatens to be the first season of his soaring 16-year career to end winless.
But he certainly triumphs in the "best holiday" stakes having seen gorillas, lions and elephants in a four-country swing through Africa and insists he returns “a changed man … bringing the ancestors with me to Spa”.
Spa, of course, is one of the most famous circuits of them all – one of the F1 big beasts – rolling through seven kilometres of Ardennes forest, 80 per cent of which is taken at full throttle never far from 300 kph.
Forecasts of rain on both Saturday and Sunday have been greeted with groans but that makes my mood soar as Spa and Silverstone are the only circuits in the calendar on a sprawling scale and design that demand the best from both cars and drivers.
An $80 million track upgrade has resulted in several tarmac run-offs replaced with gravel traps that will make the challenge greater still.
Significantly the run-off for the iconic Eau Rouge/Raidillon section has been widened in an attempt to prevent fatalities from cars ricocheting off the barriers and back into the path of oncoming rivals.
The vast investment is presumably to improve its chances of remaining on the calendar amid swirling rumours that its future, like Monaco’s, is under threat despite an expanded 24-race schedule for 2023, its own epic status and yet another sell-out crowd.
Behind the scenes, the FIA’s confirmation of eco-friendly 1,000 plus bph engine rules for 2026 should preface announcements by car giants Porsche and Audi that they are coming into F1.
Porsche’s fourth F1 stint will be with Red Bull and Audi are replacing Alfa Romeo at Sauber.
The annual bout of driver musical chairs resumed without waiting for the paddock to reassemble.
McLaren’s decision on Wednesday to ditch Daniel Ricciardo at a price running into double figure millions is probably to keep rising Australian star Oscar Piastri out of the clutches of rivals Alpine.
Ricciardo has already been linked with former employers Alpine and American outfit Haas, where Mick Schumacher’s lacklustre form surely means his days are numbered despite his famous surname.
Will the end come at the circuit where his father’s epic story began?
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Sean Kirrane (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Falaj Hazza – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Arim W’Rsan, Dane O’Neill, Jaci Wickham
6pm: Al Basrah – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Kalifano De Ghazal, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
6.30pm: Oud Al Touba – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Pharitz Oubai, Sean Kirrane, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Sieh bin Amaar – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Oxord, Richard Mullen, Abdalla Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: AF Ramz, Sean Kirrane, Khalifa Al Neyadi
8pm: Al Saad – Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Sea Skimmer, Gabriele Malune, Kareem Ramadan
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
|
1.
|
United States
|
|
2.
|
China
|
|
3.
|
UAE
|
|
4.
|
Japan
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
|
6.
|
Canada
|
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
|
8.
|
Australia
|
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Lady Snazz, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Rich And Famous, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Rio Angie, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB) Dh 92,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Kinver Edge, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Fifa Club World Cup:
When: December 6-16
Where: Games to take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
Defending champions: Real Madrid
Everton%20Fixtures
%3Cp%3EApril%2015%20-%20Chelsea%20(A)%3Cbr%3EApril%2021%20-%20N.%20Forest%20(H)%3Cbr%3EApril%2024%20-%20Liverpool%20(H)%3Cbr%3EApril%2027%20-%20Brentford%20(H)%3Cbr%3EMay%203%20-%20Luton%20Town%20(A)%3Cbr%3EMay%2011%20-%20Sheff%20Utd%20(H)%3Cbr%3EMay%2019%20-%20Arsenal%20(A)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
65
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EScott%20Beck%2C%20Bryan%20Woods%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAdam%20Driver%2C%20Ariana%20Greenblatt%2C%20Chloe%20Coleman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Concrete and Gold
Foo Fighters
RCA records
england euro squad
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Man Utd), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Defenders: John Stones (Man City), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Man City), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Reece James (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Scorebox
Dubai Sports City Eagles 7 Bahrain 88
Eagles
Try: Penalty
Bahrain
Tries: Gibson 2, Morete 2, Bishop 2, Bell 2, Behan, Fameitau, Sanson, Roberts, Bennett, Radley
Cons: Radley 4, Whittingham 5
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.4-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20366hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E550Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESix-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh360%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Subscribe to Beyond the Headlines
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications
more from Janine di Giovanni
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
