Brazilian Felipe Massa feels he has turned a corner after his first podium of the season in Italy last time out and is cautiously confident his Williams team can catch Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.
Massa, who joined Williams at the start of the season after eight years with Ferrari, finished an emotional third at Monza at the home race for his former team which helped his new side move above his old colleagues in the constructors’ race.
The National’s 2014 F1 season guide: Race calendar and standings
Williams are third in the standings on 177 points, 15 ahead of Ferrari and 95 behind Red Bull, with six rounds remaining starting with Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix race under the lights at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Mercedes are well out in front but Massa was optimistic of adding to his own personal 55 point haul and, with the help of in-form teammate Valtteri Bottas, continue to rack up the points for the resurgent Williams team who only managed five last season.
“We’re planning to close the gap in every race ... to catch even Red Bull which is a bit far, but you’ll never know,” the Brazilian told Reuters on Wednesday.
“Everything can change pretty quickly in Formula One in two or three races. The situation is different. Maybe we have the opportunity to fight for the second place.
“I think the work and the job we are doing this year is going very well. So there’s still a lot to improve in the second part of the season and also next year.”
The twisting, demanding and lengthy street circuit in hot, humid and this week hazy Singapore will be one of the tougher races for Massa and Williams, though.
The team will have some upgrades on the car for this weekend but Massa acknowledged Monza was a high-speed track that suited them better.
“Monza was a fantastic race for us. We managed to finish on the podium, which was great,” he said of the race 10 days ago.
“We finished third and fourth. We managed to pass Ferrari in the constructors’ championship so going for third place, I think it was a very important race for us.
“It was fantastic to be back on the podium. I hope we can carry on being back on the podium for most of the races.
“I think it’s (Singapore) always a difficult race, a different track. Not the best track for us. I really expect we can be there, I really expect we can be competitive and I hope we can fight again for the podium.”
Williams head of vehicle performance Rob Smedley was also wary of the demands that the Singapore race would put on his team this week.
“The track has a few issues that we have to work around, such as the lack of grip that on a normal track would improve, but here doesn’t,” he said in a statement.
“This results in a lot of wheel spin and oversteer which affects the balance of the car. The main focus for the team is the constructors’ championship now and we have to establish ourselves in third position, which we regained from Ferrari in Monza.”
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAdam%20Wingard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBrian%20Tyree%20Henry%2C%20Rebecca%20Hall%2C%20Dan%20Stevens%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Meydan Racecourse racecard:
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes Listed (PA) | Dh175,000 | 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden for 2-year-old fillies (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: The Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 1,600m
8.15pm: Maiden for 2-year-old colts (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,600m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 2,000m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,600m.
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
Naga
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
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Results
Stage 5:
1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Jumbo-Visma 04:19:08
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:03
3. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Sergio Higuita (COL) EF Education-Nippo 00:00:05
5. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:06
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 17:09:26
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers 00:00:45
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:01:12
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Team Jumbo-Visma 00:01:54
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo 00:01:56
The biog
Hobby: "It is not really a hobby but I am very curious person. I love reading and spend hours on research."
Favourite author: Malcom Gladwell
Favourite travel destination: "Antigua in the Caribbean because I have emotional attachment to it. It is where I got married."
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The specs: 2018 Genesis G70
Price, base / as tested: Dh155,000 / Dh205,000
Engine: 3.3-litre, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 370hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 510Nm @ 1,300rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.6L / 100km
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
