Sebastian Vettel's performances have delighted Ferrari management. Valdrin Xhemaj / EPA
Sebastian Vettel's performances have delighted Ferrari management. Valdrin Xhemaj / EPA

Ferrari tell Vettel he can sign new contract with the team whenever he wants



Ferrari have told Sebastian Vettel he just has to sign on the dotted line to stay with the Formula One team next season.

The championship leader is out of contract at the end of the year but Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne set out his team's position at the Austrian Grand Prix.

"I made it very clear that if he wants to stay then we’ll just renew it. It’s up to him," Marchionne said.

Vettel has delayed contract talks to focus on the championship battle, saying there will be plenty of time over the summer, and any haggling is likely to be about money and the number of years.

The German, a four times world champion, moved 20 points clear of closest rival Lewis Hamilton after finishing runner-up to the Briton's Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas at the Red Bull Ring.

With the 20-round season approaching the halfway point at Silverstone next weekend, Vettel has won three races and it would probably have been four had he been given one more lap on Sunday.

As it was, he missed out by only 0.6 secons to Bottas.

Speaking to the Italian media afterwards, Marchionne said there was plenty to be happy about however.

"It was very close. We are there and our German friends know it," he said.

"They can feel us breathing down their necks but we will cut this little gap. I am much happier than I was in the past. The boys know we have started the job and we must carry it through to the end."

While Vettel leads the standings, champions Mercedes stretched their lead in the constructors' standings to 33 points and are 5-3 to Ferrari on wins.

But while Hamilton and Bottas have shared the spoils of victory, Vettel has been leading the charge for Ferrari with more than twice as many points as his Finnish team mate Kimi Raikkonen.

Vettel's only obvious alternative to the most successful team in Formula One history would be Mercedes, but the German has already laughed off rumours of that happening.

"I think the way we are set up right now, we find ourselves very happy and the focus is on this year despite the fact for next year there is nothing on paper," he said in May.

Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda has also dismissed a move.

"A Ferrari driver, his head is for Ferrari, and the money in the end is also there," he said.

While Ferrari are happy with the form of Vettel, they are less so with the fortunes of his teammate Kimi Raikkonen.

Marchionne had said of the Finn before the race on Sunday in Austria,  "I think Kimi has got to show a higher level of commitment to the process.

"There are days when I think he's a bit of a laggard, but we'll see."

Raikkonen finished a distant fifth in Austria, and is fifth in the drivers' championship on 83 points, 88 less than Vettel.

The 2007 world champion told reporters post-race in Austria that it was not for a want of effort that he had been unable to match the endeavours of Vettel.

"Obviously I want to do well," Raikkonen said. "My team wants to do well, and I can only do the best that I can. It's not like I'm not trying.

"Unfortunately it's not been very straightforward sometimes, but that's part of the plan and we keep pushing and I'm sure things will work out better."

Raikkonen and Ferrari now head to England for Sunday's British Grand Prix, a race that the Finn last won in 2007.

Since then in his previous seven appearances at Silverstone he has not finished on the podium, finishing fifth last year.

Ferrari themselves have not won at Silverstone since 2012, when Fernando Alonso prevailed, with the past four years having been won by a driver racing for Mercedes.

Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

Company%20Profile
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Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm

Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km

Price: From Dh796,600

On sale: now

THE%20STRANGERS'%20CASE
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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

SPECS
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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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A little about CVRL

Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.

One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases. 

The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery. 

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Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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Frankenstein in Baghdad
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Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

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