ABU DHABI // The Formula One world champion will not be decided for another two days, but confirmation arrived on Thursday of the futures of two previous winners.
After months of speculation, it was finally, formally announced that Fernando Alonso will leave Ferrari after Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and his replacement, as has been rumoured since October, is Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel, the reigning world champion.
Alonso has yet to reveal where he will race next season, but is widely expected to turn up back at McLaren where he endured a challenging year in 2007.
Read more: Who is going and who is staying ahead of new Formula One season
Should he fail to strike a deal with his old employers, there is the possibility the Spaniard may opt for a sabbatical with a possible seat at Mercedes in 2016.
“It is a new chapter in my career,” Alonso said. “I felt it was the time for new projects and motivation. It wasn’t an easy decision – I was in talks last year. This year, I felt around September that it was time to move and I took the decision. Only time will tell whether it is a good or bad decision.”
Alonso, who has finished second in the drivers standings in three of the past four seasons, claimed he had a gentlemen’s agreement with former president Luca Di Montezemolo that if performances did not improve he would be allowed to break his seven-year contract and move.
“I need to thank Ferrari because they could have said no, but they understood it was the best for the two parties,” said Alonso, who had two years left to run on his deal. “This is a true sign of respect and love. I stop as a Ferrari driver, but from Monday I continue as a Ferrari supporter.”
Vettel, a four-time world champion, has signed with the Italian manufacturers on a three-year deal believed to be worth up to £150 million (Dh860m). He will partner close friend Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion who has been awarded a second season despite disappointing since returning to Ferrari last winter.
“It felt like the right time,” Vettel said. “It’s not an easy decision to make. Obviously, I’ve been with Red Bull for more or less my entire life – since I was 12 years old.
“At some stage you feel that you want to take on a new challenge and do something different. My wish was to leave and I think it’s not a good idea to stop people or make them stay or try to convince them because ultimately they wanted to leave.”
Vettel’s move to Ferrari will undoubtedly draw comparisons with Michael Schumacher, the seven-time champion, Vettel’s childhood idol and the last German to sit in a Prancing Horse.
Vettel is a keen F1 historian and is well aware that his next step could be particularly special.
“I don’t have to mention the history of Ferrari in the sport; it’s probably the greatest team to drive for,” he said.
“It’s a childhood dream. When you think back, it’s always Michael in the red cars, so I think it will be a very special journey and I’m very much looking forward to it. It will be something that remains with you for the rest of your life.”
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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