Umair Khan won twice in Class 2 at the Yas Marina Circuit on Friday to capture the Total UAE Touring Car series championship.
"Mission accomplished," said Khan, who has made it three titles in three years in the series. "It really was a very good day, but more than that it has been a great year for us.
"We grew as a team and made no mistakes. This is a tribute to Lap57 teamwork and the crew, who made it happen. We have taken a big step forward over the past season; last year we were inconsistent, and this year we corrected the problems and the championship is our reward."
Including the two he won Friday, the Honda driver has claimed victory in nine consecutive races.
His teammate, Rupesh Channake, finished second, followed by the Gulf Petrochem Renault Clio of Constantinos Annivas, in both races.
In the race-within-a-race, Constantinos's brother, Alexandros, finished fourth in class, just high enough to take the inaugural Clio Cup title.
"This was my longest day in the cockpit," said Annivas, who overcame his Renault's sour gearbox in the second race.
"I did everything I knew to nurse it home with it jumping out of gear. There was no gearbox left. Really, it was nerve-racking stuff, and it was a big relief to finish and take the title."
Nader Zuhour took maximum points in Class 1 by recording a pair of victories in his SEAT for NFS Racing.
"We started with several top contenders and even now there are three drivers capable of winning the title," Zuhour said.
"My win at Yas started in practice on Thursday, where I adjusted the way I drive. Being less aggressive and dominating with the car, I went with the flow and drove according to what the car wanted, not what I wanted. And it worked."
Nothing worked for Zuhour's main title rival, Costas Papantonis of the Gulf Petrochem team, who went home after the weekend with a pair of did-not-finishes after.
Papantonis remains in the title chase, which now comes down to the April 13 events at the Dubai Autodrome, where double points will be available in both events.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
