SAKHIR // It is perhaps not surprising that on the day Michael Schumacher officially returned to Formula One, German domination was evident. Yet while four of the six fastest times posted during free practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix yesterday were set by those representing the black, red and yellow of Deutschland, it was not the seven-time world champion who led the pack.
Force India's Adrian Sutil, of Germany, finished fastest in the morning, but it was his compatriot Nico Rosberg, teammate of the 41-year-old Schumacher at Mercedes GP, who clocked the quickest time of the afternoon at 1min 55.409sec leading McLaren's Lewis Hamilton by 0.445. Schumacher finished third, narrowly ahead of the reigning champion Jenson Button, while the German duo Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull and Nico Hulkenberg of Williams were close behind.
While Schumacher, returning after three years in retirement, admitted to feeling "a little rusty" and conceded he had to quickly "get back into the routine", Rosberg looked composed as he completed 23 laps of the extended Sakhir track.
"We improved the car over the course of the day, but it didn't feel great initially with the new track, lower down-force, and the conditions were very sandy in the morning," said the 24-year-old. "We had a few balance issues to work on, but it came together very well in the afternoon. There are areas where we can still improve, but overall, we learned a great deal so it's a positive start to the weekend."
The Bahrain circuit has been lengthened by almost a kilometre to include eight new turns, but the changes have not been well received by the 23 drivers who tested it for the first time yesterday.
Button, who won here last year, complained of his head "bouncing around all over the place" because of new undulations, while Renault's Robert Kubica added: "The new part does not look very interesting at all. It is very slow with lots of bumps and is tough on the tyres. I definitely prefer the old layout."
And it is not only on the track that teams have grievances. Kubica's boss at Renault, Bob Bell, accused McLaren of making a mockery of the F1 rulebook after the British manufacturers utilised a rear wing that appears to be fed by a duct that can be affected by the driver's body movement.
"They have driven a carthorse through the spirit of the rules and regulations," said Bell of McLaren, whose controversial body fitting was deemed legal on Thursday by the FIA, world motor sport's governing body. "They have opened up another arms race; it's going to cost everybody a lot of money. The governing bodies need to be a lot stronger with these things."
Meanwhile, Bell's predecessor at Renault, Flavio Briatore, has vowed never to return to the sport, despite having his indefinite ban lifted. The Italian, expelled by the FIA last year following alleged race-fixing at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, was unequivocal when asked if he had intentions of returning to the sport he was involved in for more than 20 years: "I exclude it 100 per cent," he said.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
5 of the most-popular Airbnb locations in Dubai
Bobby Grudziecki, chief operating officer of Frank Porter, identifies the five most popular areas in Dubai for those looking to make the most out of their properties and the rates owners can secure:
• Dubai Marina
The Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence are popular locations, says Mr Grudziecki, due to their closeness to the beach, restaurants and hotels.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh482 to Dh739
Two bedroom: Dh627 to Dh960
Three bedroom: Dh721 to Dh1,104
• Downtown
Within walking distance of the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and the famous fountains, this location combines business and leisure. “Sure it’s for tourists,” says Mr Grudziecki. “Though Downtown [still caters to business people] because it’s close to Dubai International Financial Centre."
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh497 to Dh772
Two bedroom: Dh646 to Dh1,003
Three bedroom: Dh743 to Dh1,154
• City Walk
The rising star of the Dubai property market, this area is lined with pristine sidewalks, boutiques and cafes and close to the new entertainment venue Coca Cola Arena. “Downtown and Marina are pretty much the same prices,” Mr Grudziecki says, “but City Walk is higher.”
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh524 to Dh809
Two bedroom: Dh682 to Dh1,052
Three bedroom: Dh784 to Dh1,210
• Jumeirah Lake Towers
Dubai Marina’s little brother JLT resides on the other side of Sheikh Zayed road but is still close enough to beachside outlets and attractions. The big selling point for Airbnb renters, however, is that “it’s cheaper than Dubai Marina”, Mr Grudziecki says.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh422 to Dh629
Two bedroom: Dh549 to Dh818
Three bedroom: Dh631 to Dh941
• Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah's proximity to luxury resorts is attractive, especially for big families, says Mr Grudziecki, as Airbnb renters can secure competitive rates on one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh503 to Dh770
Two bedroom: Dh654 to Dh1,002
Three bedroom: Dh752 to Dh1,152
A general guide to how active you are:
Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary
5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
10,000 - 12,500 steps - active
12,500 - highly active
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
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
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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