The Bahrain Grand Prix proved to be the perfect antidote to a dull affair at Suzuka last week, delivering a terrific action-packed race on Sunday evening.
The differing tyre strategies, a mid-race safety car and some smooth overtaking ensured plenty of talking points. Below are the key takeaways from a pivotal weekend of action at the Sakhir circuit.
Perfect Piastri is a title contender
Oscar Piastri drove an immaculate race to secure McLaren's first ever victory in Bahrain – their second 'home race’. Owned by Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund, McLaren know they have the car to beat, and Piastri never faltered, finishing an impressive 15 seconds ahead of second-placed George Russell.
After taking pole in qualifying, Piastri made a strong start to the race and dominated throughout, despite the emergence of a safety car that wiped out a seven-second lead midway through.
“It’s great to have this result out here. It’s been an incredible weekend, starting off with qualifying yesterday [Saturday]. To finish the job today in style was nice,” said the Australian, his second win of the season after China. “I can’t thank the team enough for the car they’ve given us – it’s pretty handy out there. It’s been a great weekend, and I’m very proud of what I’ve done.”
Piastri’s brilliant win sees him move up to second in the drivers’ championship on 74 points, just three behind teammate Lando Norris. After struggling in qualifying, Norris said it was like he'd “never driven a Formula One car before” and that he “needed to find some answers”.
He found them on Sunday when he stormed up the grid from the first lap and went on to finish third despite receiving a five-second penalty.
It was a scrappy race at times and Norris faced challenges. He overcame Charles Leclerc and began pursuing Russell in the final laps of the race. However, he was unable to overcome the Mercedes to make it another one-two finish for McLaren.
Russell shows his quality
Russell was in warrior mode on Sunday evening as he masterfully managed his soft tyres to the end to secure P2.
“It felt all under control for a moment, then suddenly we had a brake-by-wire failure, so the pedal was going long, then it was going short … I didn’t know what was going on … the steering wheel wasn’t working properly,” Russell explained.
“It was really hard-fought to keep Lando behind. I think one more lap and he would have got me pretty comfortably. Nevertheless, I’m really pleased with P2.”
Russell got off to a terrific start, passing Leclerc and holding on for much of the race. However, he began suffering electrical problems in the closing stages and accidentally used an “auxiliary button in the cockpit which serves as a back-up radio button but also serves as a manual DRS activation button”.
Russell escaped a possible penalty for DRS infringement, as the stewards explained: “Whilst technically a breach occurred, the stewards decide that as there was no sporting advantage gained, no penalty is imposed.”
Russell has had an impressive start to the season, delivering some strong displays to sit fourth in the championship, 14 points behind leader Norris.
Russell should have won driver of the day for his performance, and for a driver whose contract expires at the end of this year, he needs to continue progressing and impressing if he wants to secure a long-term deal.
Verstappen fails to build on Suzuka
After a dominant display last week in Japan, it was all set for Verstappen to produce another dazzling race and defy the mediocrity of the RB-21. However, two slow pit stops and a brake problem left him down in sixth, and complaining that “everything went wrong”.
His first pit stop took longer than expected due to a traffic light failure, while the second was even worse, according to Verstappen, when his crew struggled to remove his front right tyre.
Tyre degradation was always going to prove problematic, and Red Bull struggled, overheating their tyres far more than their rivals. It all begs the question as to how long Verstappen will tolerate his car’s issues? Can Red Bull keep hold of their champion?
As for Yuki Tsunoda, he finished in ninth to secure his first points for Red Bull, progressing nicely in his second outing as the team’s No 2 driver.
Baby steps for Ferrari
It’s been a difficult start to the season for the Scuderia, and the team introduced several upgrades for Bahrain, including a new floor, in the hope of closing the gap on the cars ahead of them.
Leclerc battled for a podium finish until the speed of Norris eventually snatched P3 away from him. The Monegasque admitted the upgrades proved helpful, but the car still doesn’t have the pace to compete and a lot of work is still needed.
“A baby step [forward] but we need many baby steps before getting to where we want,” explained Leclerc after the race.
As for his teammate, Lewis Hamilton won driver of the day, as voted for by the fans. Securing P5, it was his best finish to date for Ferrari, despite only qualifying in ninth.
It is always difficult to move to a new team, but it’s especially difficult if you are a veteran with a distinct style and are forced to adapt and change to suit the strengths of the Ferrari.
“The car is sometimes quite hard to drive and I’m really working hard to adapt my driving style so that’s really what I’ve got to do,” Hamilton explained.
“I learnt a lot today and [in] that middle stint I was really in line with the car and I had the pace and was moving forwards. I need that at the beginning and the end, and I need that in qualifying so I know what to search for now.”
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
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Book%20Details
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MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
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NO OTHER LAND
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The years Ramadan fell in May
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Silva 8' &15, Foden 33')
Birmginahm City 0
Man of the match Bernado Silva (Manchester City)
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
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Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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United States beat UAE by three wickets
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UAE v Scotland – no result
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Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Abu Dhabi race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
6pm: Liwa Oasis (PA) Group 2 | Dh300,000 | 1,400m
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 (PA) Group 3 | Dh300,000 | 2,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap | Dh70,000 | 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
- Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
- Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
- Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
- Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
- 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
- Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
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