Charles Leclerc admitted he was baffled by Ferrari's dramatic slump at the United States Grand Prix after he finished a distant fourth and teammate Sebastian Vettel retired with suspension failure.
The Italian team had reeled off six successive pole positions before their arrival at the Circuit of the Americas, where Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas took pole and won the race, followed home by newly-crowned six-time world champion and teammate Lewis Hamilton.
"I was not expecting that," said Leclerc. "It did not seem right. The first stint was extremely hard and I believe this was the main problem of the race, but to be completely honest I have no explanation.
"The front left felt very weird. We need to analyse that because I've never had this feeling before. I'm pretty sure something was not right on this stint. Then on the two others the pace was not as bad."
Vettel said he had no explanation for his car's breakdown. "I had a decent start, I was just on the dirty side - and then I had no place to go at turn one.
"I was really struggling for grip, especially at right-handers. It was a very different car, so I asked if they had seen something or if something is broken.
"A couple of laps after that we had the failure. I assume that it must have been an issue before. I don't know if it's related to the track, but on the other hand we've done so many laps. Why now?"
Terminator: Dark Fate
Director: Tim Miller
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis
Rating: 3/5
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.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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