Jarno Trulli is relishing having the sun on his back for virtually the first time since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Trulli heads to Bahrain for the season-opening grand prix having spent a winter contending with heavy snow at his home in the foothills of the Swiss Alps and at his new place of work at Lotus headquarters in Norfolk, England.
When the snow falls in the small village of Pontresina, where Trulli, his wife Barbara and two sons are among just 2,000 inhabitants, the 36-year-old straps on his cross-country skis and heads out into the countryside.
At Lotus' Hingham base, the skis never made an appearance although the former Toyota driver admits to some hair-rising drives from the airport en route to a series of factory visits.
"I think I've had enough snow now. It's been crazily cold in England in particular and I feel it's time for some sunshine. I'm looking forward to the heat, until I get into the car [where temperatures at last year's race reached 50 degrees]," he says.
Trulli will have to toil in the heat at the Bahrain International Circuit having switched the heavily financed Toyota team for relative minnows Lotus.
As one of four new teams on the grid, Lotus are expected to fight it out among the backmarkers and their new driver readily admits that will be the case but is relishing the challenge.
"The first half of the season will be tough, very, very tough," he says.
"It's important we get things right in the first half so we can be competitive in the second."
Trulli's pre-season prediction for Lotus is not much of a call to arms, but he has ambitious plans for them in the three years of his contract to the extent that he believes he can win again.
Despite more than 200 grand prix starts, he boasts a solitary race win at the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix for Renault in 2004.
He has come close since, including second place at last year's Japanese Grand Prix, and believes the opportunity to at least double his tally will come with Lotus.
"I still want race wins and believe I am good enough for race wins," he says.
"I missed out a couple of times last year but I wouldn't continue in F1 if I did not believe I could win. You need some luck for it and I didn't really get that luck last season.
"For us to win this year, well, we'd need a lot of luck but you can dream in F1. Ok, it's unlikely to happen this season unless something massively crazy happens but you never know."
Trulli's hopes of targeting another race victory appeared to be over when, at 35, he was told that Toyota - the team he had joined towards the end of the 2004 season - were pulling the plug on its F1 operation.
After hearing the news, the Italian admitted he toyed with the idea of retirement despite offers from different teams up and down the grid.
But the prospect of being reunited with Mike Gascoyne, his technical director at Jordan, Renault and Toyota, persuaded him to stay in the sport and sign on the dotted line with Lotus.
"Mike approached me early on but I wanted to wait until Toyota officially pulled out," he says.
"Once Toyota left, I had several different options but the prospect of working with Mike again was a big aspect in my decision.
"It gave me the chance to have the very best technical back-up which is the main thing for me. Mike's extremely strong in that department and I've enjoyed great success with him in the past so I was happy to work with him again."
Renewing acquaintances has been a major part of Trulli's early days with Lotus and admitted that a visit to the factory for his seat-fitting in January was like a walk down memory lane.
"I'd say that 50 per cent of the people I saw in the factory that day, I've worked with before, it's sort of like coming home," he says.
Being in his mid-thirties, Trulli has no memory of Lotus' heyday in the sport although recalls watching with his motorsport-loving father the John Player Special Lotus of Elio de Angelis win races and battle for the world championship in the mid-1980s.
And Trulli, who will be in his 14th season in F1, believes the name alone will prove a massive draw.
"Lotus attracts drivers, fans and sponsors. It's a name like Ferrari - it's powerful in Formula One," he says.
"I didn't watch a lot of Lotus when I was young but I've read a lot about Colin Chapman [who set up Lotus] and the cars he created.
"There's big pressure to live up to the name and it's a big project but I love something like that. I did it with Toyota and I think building something from nothing with pressure and expectation is what I'm good at."
Debate reigns over whether Trulli was truly successful at the Japanese manufacturer, which bowed out of the sport having never achieved its major goal for a race victory.
He concedes there were failures by him and the team but looks back fondly at the experience, to the extent that one suspects he would have stayed put had the Toyota hierarchy not scrapped their F1 team.
"This move has given me a fresh buzz and excitement but it is a shame that Toyota left and it's a shame that I couldn't have given them a first win," he says.
Arguably Trulli's best chance to break that duck came at last year's Bahrain Grand Prix. Having qualified on pole position ahead of team-mate Timo Glock, the team appeared to have superior race pace but a poor race strategy cost them the race.
Trulli, who had to make do with second place, looks back on the race fondly and admits he is relishing a return to the Middle East.
"I like the circuit and I've gone well there before," he says. "I'm not sure I'll go that well this time but nothing is impossible."
The major goal for Lotus is to be the quickest of the new teams and the general perception is that they are the best equipped with Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen as their driver line-up.
"I'm confident we will do that but for other ambitions people need to be patient," he says.
"It's going to take time and we need to prove ourselves and prove we can do well despite being on a small budget."
A relatively small budget failed to prove a hindrance to the Brawns of world champion Jenson Button last year and then team-mate Rubens Barrichello.
Lotus do not have any pretence about matching those feats in 2010 although with an increased budget, Mercedes, rebranded from Brawn, can dream of a title repeat.
Their best bet in that quest is likely to be Michael Schumacher, who has been tipped for race wins and possibly an eighth world title in some quarters, although Trulli is unconvinced.
"I don't think he'll win straight away. I think he will struggle. It's difficult as he's not been racing, well, in F1 anyway, and F1 racing is very different is very different to any other racing," he says.
"I think he will struggle to do well initially and will have a hard first half to the season like us. After that, who knows what might happen. If he has the car, he might win races."
Having ruled his former track rival out of the running for the title, Trulli has "no idea who will win".
"Fernando Alonso will be strong at Ferrari, the Red Bulls finished last season well and I expect McLaren and Button and Hamilton to do well but you never know," he adds.
sports@thenational.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
No%20Windmills%20in%20Basra
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Diaa%20Jubaili%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20180%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Deep%20Vellum%20Publishing%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
UAE Team Emirates
Valerio Conti (ITA)
Alessandro Covi (ITA)
Joe Dombrowski (USA)
Davide Formolo (ITA)
Fernando Gaviria (COL)
Sebastian Molano (COL)
Maximiliano Richeze (ARG)
Diego Ulissi (ITAS)
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
pakistan Test squad
Azhar Ali (capt), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Yasir Shah, Usman Shinwari
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
Wydad 2 Urawa 3
Wydad Nahiri 21’, Hajhouj 90'
Urawa Antonio 18’, 60’, Kashiwagi 26’
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Greatest Royal Rumble match listing
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
