Lewis Hamilton was called an “idiot” and told “he only knows how to drive and start in first” by a furious Fernando Alonso following their opening-lap crash at the Belgian Grand Prix.
As Max Verstappen continued his emphatic march towards his second world championship in as many years by winning from 14th on the grid, Hamilton’s race was over inside four corners.
Hamilton started one position behind Alonso in fourth on Formula One’s return to action following its traditional summer break in Spa-Francorchamps.
But after he followed his one-time rival through the fearsome uphill Eau Rouge corner, and then at 200mph on the ensuing Kemmel Straight as they duelled for second, he jinked to the left of Alonso under braking at Les Combes.
Hamilton was marginally ahead, but as he turned in for the right-left-right corner, his right-rear tyre made contact with Alonso’s left-front wheel.
The Briton was launched into the air and landed forcefully on the belly of his Mercedes.
Hamilton ran over the rumble strips, and attempted to soldier on, but water was pouring out of his terminally-wounded machine. Hamilton was ordered by his team to stop.
“I am so sorry, guys,” he said over the radio.
“No, mate, I don’t think it is your fault,” replied Hamilton’s race engineer, Peter Bonnington.
However, Alonso, Hamilton’s former team-mate at McLaren, did not concur with Bonnington’s assessment.
“What an idiot,” yelled the double world champion over the radio. “Closing the door from the outside.
“I mean, we have a mega start, but this guy only knows how to drive and start in first.”
Later, he added: “Why does he close the door? I just don’t understand.”
As Hamilton trudged back to the pits, the stewards noted the accident before taking no further action. It marked Hamilton’s first retirement of a troubled season.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Hamilton said: “Looking back at the footage, he was in my blind spot and I didn’t leave him enough space. It was my fault today. Just, so sorry to the team.”
“It doesn’t really matter what he [Alonso] said. I don’t really care. It was my fault.”
The British driver, 37, was denied a record eighth title by Verstappen at last year’s deeply contentious season-finale in Abu Dhabi.
And Verstappen is now closing in on a second triumph after he claimed his ninth win from 14 races. Verstappen is 98 points clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with just 216 remaining.
The Dutch driver qualified almost seven tenths faster than anyone else, but started in the lower echelons of the grid after taking on his fourth engine of his title defence – one more than is permitted under the rules.
But such was Verstappen’s speed, he was up to eighth by the end of the first lap, and then third by lap eight. At the end of lap 11, Carlos Sainz stopped from the lead for new tyres, and moments later, Verstappen sailed past Sergio Perez for first.
Verstappen briefly dropped to second when he changed tyres, but a few laps later he was back ahead of Sainz and that was that.
He crossed the line 17.8 seconds clear of Perez as Red Bull completed a dominant one-two finish, with Sainz third. Perez is now second in the championship race, 93 points behind.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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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
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Copa del Rey final
Sevilla v Barcelona, Saturday, 11.30pm (UAE), match on Bein Sports
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
