Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said thoughts of pursuing four-time world champion Max Verstappen is no longer on his radar and that talks to extend George Russell's contract will take place most likely in the summer.
Wolff attempted to lure Verstappen to Mercedes as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton last year before the Dutchman decided to continue his long association with Red Bull - the team who have helped him win all four of his F1 titles.
Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli was instead promoted from the team’s junior ranks alongside Russell for the new season which starts in Australia on Sunday.
Russell, 27, is entering his fourth season with Mercedes but his current deal is due to expire at the end of the year, leaving some to speculate whether Wolff was leaving the door open on a renewed attempt to lure Verstappen.
However, speaking in Melbourne ahead of Sunday’s curtain-raiser, Wolff said: “We need to concentrate on our driver line-up.
“I don’t flirt outside if I am in a good relationship. At the moment that [a move for Verstappen] is not on the radar.
“I don’t like to shift my concentration away from these guys [Russell and Antonelli]. I’m someone who sticks to what he says and this is the combination that I want to go forward with Mercedes. I have no other reasons to doubt that.”
Russell will take the lead role in the team following seven-time world champion Hamilton's move to Ferrari.
Regarding the Briton's contract extension, Wolff added: “We had a chat a few weeks ago about when the right timing would be to liaise.
“We’re going to find some time, I guess before the summer. We will do that in a timely manner, without disrupting the season.”
Russell, who outscored Hamilton in two of the three years they were paired together at Mercedes, added: “In sport, performance speaks for itself. So from my side, there’s no pressure. I’ve got no doubts about myself, and everything will fall into place when the timing is right.
“With Toto and me, we’ve had such a long-term relationship and there is so much trust between one another. But at the moment, we have got bigger fish to fry, which is getting Mercedes back on top and trying to win races and championships.”
Meanwhile, Stefano Domenicali will remain president and chief executive of Formula One until 2029 after extending his contract.
The Italian assumed the role in 2021 and has been instrumental in driving a strong period of growth for the business, with increased fan interest and demand for races around the world.
He is the second Formula One Management chief appointed since Liberty Media took over as owner of the sport's commercial rights in 2017, after predecessor Chase Carey.
"We are thrilled to renew Stefano and look forward to his leadership alongside the talented management of Formula One for the years ahead," Derek Chang, president and chief executive of Liberty Media, said in a statement.
"Stefano has been an excellent steward of the business, building on its successful foundation and accelerating Formula One's rate of growth both commercially and in fan engagement."
Former Ferrari team boss Domenicali said he was "honoured" to stay in the role.
"Together, with all the relevant F1 stakeholders, we will continue to serve the best interest of our fans as they are the heartbeat of everything we do," said the 59-year-old.
Read next: Emirati teen joins Mercedes F1 Junior Driver Programme
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
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
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Mobile phone packages comparison
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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
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
How to donate
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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Indoor Cricket World Cup
Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty
