As Michael Schumacher strolled into the press conference after qualifying at Monaco that day I can still clearly remember the burning fury I felt. The utter indignation. Did he really think we would fall for that?
The great German had just faked a crash to steal pole. But in reality had just parked his racer at Rascasse hairpin to block Fernando Alonso from nicking top spot.
Starting at the very front is always, of course, the biggest part of winning a Monte Carlo.
It was not only dastardly it was downright dangerous and risked not only his life but that of others roaring up behind him on such a narrow ribbon of tarmac between steel barriers.
What got me was the audacity. Cheating so blatantly in front of a TV audience of 400 million. Keke Rosberg, the 1982 F1 world champion, called it "the cheapest, dirtiest thing I have ever seen in F1”.
The feeling among some of the media was that F1 politics, being as pernicious as it is, if he was allowed to leave the room without censure he could get away with it entirely. We had to set the tone.
The press conference was packed and the mood heavy.
I raised my hand to ask a question and sooner than I expected I was nominated. How do you ask someone if they cheated? Is that slander? Perhaps Alonso had the answer, seen as how he was the one who had lost out. So I asked him what he thought of Schumacher’s actions. The Teflon Spaniard smiled his thin smile and dodged the question with a clipped answer.
Having had no time to frame a more considered question I served it straight: “Michael, do you think you cheated?”
Mark Webber, who was sitting beside him, would later recall that Schumacher’s hand began to shake.
The German blustered an indignant answer and denied it all. Others, feeling as I did, continued the inquisition. No escape, Michael. Even so it was not until well after dark some eight hours later, even in the face of blatant chicanery, that the governing body, the FIA, got up the courage to kick him to the back of the grid.
Later Bernie Ecclestone told me I should have been more direct: “Michael, why did you cheat?”
That was 2006. But Schumacher was not a one-time offender. There’s Adelaide 1994, Jerez 1997 (when he was kicked out of the entire championship), Austria 2001 and 2002 to name a few.
Austria 2002 was particularly immoral. Rubens Barrichello was forced by the team to surrender a rare victory. It wasn’t a win Schumacher needed, he had won four of the previous five races, and would take the title by a country mile. He just wanted to complete the full set with a trophy from a race he always found difficult. It was just greed.
I mention this because all the hoopla this weekend in Russia will surround Lewis Hamilton’s bid to equal Schumacher’s all-time record of 91 wins. A feat once so far beyond the rest everyone doubted it would ever be beaten. And yet here we are 14 years later.
So the Schumacher era taught me statistics mean nothing. They don’t automatically translate to greatness. They don’t entitle you to greatness.
He won five championships at Ferrari with teammates who were not allowed to compete equally. So, in my eyes for those years, Schumacher is champion of all the people that year called Schumacher driving in red. Who did he beat on equal terms? No one.
With Hamilton it is a different matter. Besides the odd (Mercedes & McLaren inspired) occasion he has won every race on merit and earned his record.
I was there on the start grid when the journey began at Brazil in 2008. Despite the enormous pressure Hamilton won his first title on the last corner of the last race. He was mighty. And has been so several times since.
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Drivers with the most F1 titles
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Hamilton’s year up against another champion, Fernando Alonso, will always be the benchmark of his talent. More so because it was his first season.
But wouldn’t it be great if instead of this string of comfortable wins he were to push Mercedes to hire Max Verstappen as his teammate? Or Sebastian Vettel or Alonso again? Ayrton Senna was defined by his years against Alain Prost in the same car. I believe Hamilton is actually up for it, too. It’s only Mercedes who are squeamish at the potential mayhem.
Taking on Verstappen over a season, and perhaps beating him, in the same car would mean more than another 100 victories over Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton doesn’t need it, of course, to be considered ‘a great’ but wouldn’t it be feast for the fans. And he might just enjoy it too.
So is Hamilton greater than Schumacher, the man he will shortly overtake on the all-time winners list? I believe he already is. He doesn’t need to surpass this Schumacher landmark to prove that. Is he a better racing driver than Schumacher? Ah, that’s a different discussion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
The%20specs%20
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
2.15pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Shawall, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer)
2.45pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Anna Bella Aa, Fabrice Veron, Abdelkhir Adam
3.15pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
3.45pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner Taajer, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
4.15pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner Jawaal, Jim Crowley, Majed Al Jahouri
4.45pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner Maqaadeer, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
US households add $601bn of debt in 2019
American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.
Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.
In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.
The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.
"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
