SAKHIR // Mercedes-GP's Nico Rosberg will start from pole position for only the second time of his career at Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix, yet despite the surprise result there was a certain sense of anticlimax in the security-heavy Formula One paddock.
Reports of skirmishes and civil protests in nearby villages float regularly into the locked-down Sakhir International Circuit, which attracts millionaires, socialites and local royalty. Yet for all the talk of problems outside, drama inside the utopian bubble was nowhere to be found.
Barren grandstands lined the track and qualifying failed to live up to expectations. The kingdom’s Crown Prince said he believed more than 15,000 spectators had attended the afternoon’s pre-race showdown. Perhaps they were more interested in the musical delights on offer in the circuit’s entertainment village.
Those who did turn out to show their support saw Rosberg, the German who made his F1 debut here in 2006, clock a fastest lap 0.254 seconds quicker than Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso finished a further 0.083s back to start from third. None of the three drivers set their fastest laps on final runs.
Vettel conceded that “even with the perfect lap, we couldn’t have beaten [Rosberg’s time]” while Alonso decided to abort his final effort mid-lap. Even Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen, a hot pre-race favourite after a run of impressive results in the Arabian Gulf, could not provide a spark, managing only the ninth quickest lap of the afternoon.
The driver on pole in Bahrain has won four of the past eight races here and Rosberg converted his only other pole position, in China last season, into victory. Yet his chances of holding position look limited after Friday’s race simulation showed Mercedes to be suffering high tyre degradation.
“I really want to kick-start my season,” said the 27-year-old Rosberg, who has retired twice this year and finished fourth in Malaysia.
“It’s really been a rough ride in the first three races. It’s difficult to say if we have enough pace to win the race, but for sure we’re going to try and I look forward to starting first.”
Strategy rather than speed is the primary means of success this season and Vettel, the three-time world champion and current standings leader, saved all three sets of Pirelli’s more durable hard tyre. The understanding is the Red Bull driver is hoping to complete the race requiring only three pit stops.
“We managed to save some tyres. It will be all about tyres and tyre degradation, once again,” the 25-year-old Vettel said. “We’ll see what happens, but for sure it’s good to start from the front [row].”
When pressed on his potential strategical plans, Vettel played coy: “To be honest with you, I don’t know how many stops we have to do. You don’t have to be a genius ... one stop is impossible for everybody, two stops is impossible for most and then it’s between three and four stops. We decided to do what we did because we think it’s the best way.”
Alonso aborted his final run for similar reasons, but believes even without saving his tyres he is well placed to fight for a second successive victory after a commanding performance in China last week.
“Normally in qualifying we’re struggling a lot, but the car was very competitive and this puts us in a strong position to start the race with the group of the leaders and fight for the podium with a little bit more margin,” he said.
The Spaniard will be joined on the second row by Felipe Massa, his Ferrari teammate. Massa finished sixth fastest after surprisingly opting to run on the hard tyre, but will start from fourth after grid penalties were given to Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber.
Regulations dictate the Brazilian must now start the race on the hard tyre and while he expects to be slower initially, he hopes to benefit later in the race.
Hamilton, of Mercedes-GP, who finished on pole in Shanghai, and Webber, the Red Bull driver who is taking part in his 200th grand prix, will start in ninth and seventh respectively and are well positioned to move up through the field quickly.
As ever, there is potential for a spectacle.
Whether many will be here to see it remains to be seen, but Bahraini organisers certainly hope for an upsurge in spectators.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
Bahrain GP qualifying times
1 Rosberg, Mercedes 1min 32.330s
2 Vettel, Red Bull 1:32.584
3 Alonso, Ferrari 1:32.667
4 Hamilton, Mercedes-x 1:32.667
5 Webber, Red Bull-y 1:33.078
6 Massa, Ferrari 1:33.207
7 Di Resta, Force India 1:33.235
8 Sutil, Force India 1:33.246
9 Raikkonen, Lotus 1:33.327
10 Button, McLaren no time
11 Grosjean, Lotus 1:33.762
12 Perez, McLaren 1:33.914
13 Ricciardo, Toro Rosso 1:33.974
14 Hulkenberg, Sauber 1:33.976
15 Bottas, Williams 1:34.105
16 Vergne, Toro Rosso 1:34.284
17 Maldonado, Williams 1:34.425
18 Gutierrez, Sauber-z 1:34.730
19 Pic, Caterham 1:35.283
20 Bianchi, Marussia 1:36.178
21 Garde, Caterham 1:36.304
22 Chilton, Marussia 1:36.476
x – Will receive a five-place grid penalty; y – Will receive a three-place grid penalty incurred at China GP; z – Will receive a five-place grid penalty
Drivers’ championship
Sebastian Vettel, Germany 52 pts
Kimi Raikkonen, Finland 49
Fernando Alonso, Spain 43
Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain 40
Felipe Massa, Brazil 30
Mark Webber, Australia 26
Nico Rosberg, Germany 12
Jenson Button, Great Britain 12
Romain Grosjean, France 11
Paul di Resta, Great Britain 8
Adrian Sutil, Germany 6
Daniel Ricciardo, Australia 6
Nico Hulkenberg, Germany 5
Sergio Perez, Mexico 2
Jean-Eric Vergne, France 1
Charles Pic, France 0
Max Chilton, Great Britain 0
Giedo van der Garde, Holland 0
Jules Bianchi, France 0
Esteban Gutierrez, Mexico 0
Pastor Maldonado, Venezuela 0
Valtteri Bottas, Finland 0
Constructors’ championship
Red Bull Racing 78 pts
Ferrari 73
Lotus-Renault 58
Mercedes-GP 52
Force India-Mercedes 14
McLaren-Mercedes 14
Toro Rosso-Ferrari 7
Sauber-Ferrari 5
Williams-Renault 0
Marussia-Cosworth 0
Caterham-Renault 0
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Favourite book: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
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Premier League results
Saturday
Crystal Palace 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 2
Cardiff City 2 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Bournemouth 2
Leicester City 3 Fulham 1
Newcastle United 3 Everton 2
Southampton 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Manchester City 3 Watford 1
Sunday
Liverpool 4 Burnley 2
Chelsea 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
UAE%20set%20for%20Scotland%20series
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20will%20host%20Scotland%20for%20a%20three-match%20T20I%20series%20at%20the%20Dubai%20International%20Stadium%20next%20month.%3Cbr%3EThe%20two%20sides%20will%20start%20their%20Cricket%20World%20Cup%20League%202%20campaigns%20with%20a%20tri-series%20also%20involving%20Canada%2C%20starting%20on%20January%2029.%3Cbr%3EThat%20series%20will%20be%20followed%20by%20a%20bilateral%20T20%20series%20on%20March%2011%2C%2013%20and%2014.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day – 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227-4 at the close.
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
Copa del Rey
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
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%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20has%20been%20moored%20off%20the%20Yemeni%20coast%20of%20Ras%20Issa%20since%201988.%3Cbr%3EThe%20Houthis%20have%20been%20blockading%20UN%20efforts%20to%20inspect%20and%20maintain%20the%20vessel%20since%202015%2C%20when%20the%20war%20between%20the%20group%20and%20the%20Yemen%20government%2C%20backed%20by%20the%20Saudi-led%20coalition%20began.%3Cbr%3ESince%20then%2C%20a%20handful%20of%20people%20acting%20as%20a%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ae%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D%26ved%3D2ahUKEwiw2OfUuKr4AhVBuKQKHTTzB7cQFnoECB4QAQ%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.thenationalnews.com%252Fworld%252Fmena%252Fyemen-s-floating-bomb-tanker-millions-kept-safe-by-skeleton-crew-1.1104713%26usg%3DAOvVaw0t9FPiRsx7zK7aEYgc65Ad%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3Eskeleton%20crew%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20have%20performed%20rudimentary%20maintenance%20work%20to%20keep%20the%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20intact.%3Cbr%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20is%20connected%20to%20a%20pipeline%20from%20the%20oil-rich%20city%20of%20Marib%2C%20and%20was%20once%20a%20hub%20for%20the%20storage%20and%20export%20of%20crude%20oil.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%E2%80%99s%20environmental%20and%20humanitarian%20impact%20may%20extend%20well%20beyond%20Yemen%2C%20experts%20believe%2C%20into%20the%20surrounding%20waters%20of%20Saudi%20Arabia%2C%20Djibouti%20and%20Eritrea%2C%20impacting%20marine-life%20and%20vital%20infrastructure%20like%20desalination%20plans%20and%20fishing%20ports.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
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