SUZUKA, JAPAN // Nico Rosberg boosted his drivers' championship hopes by taking pole position for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.
The German edged out his Mercedes-GP teammate Lewis Hamilton by 0.076 seconds in qualifying at Suzuka to pick up his second pole of the season and the 17th of his career.
Rosberg trails world champion Hamilton by 41 points with six races left in the season, which ends in Abu Dhabi on November 29.
It was a return to form for Mercedes, who have dominated the season, but were off form in Singapore last weekend when they were out-paced by both Ferrari and Red Bull Racing.
Mercedes are the team to beat in Japan, with the Williams of Valteri Bottas the best of the rest in third spot, but four-10ths off Rosberg’s pace.
Sebastian Vettel, who won in Singapore, was fourth in his Ferrari with the second Williams of Felipe Massa and the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen completing the top six.
The session was red-flagged in the final seconds as Daniil Kvyat’s Red Bull had a crash on the entrance to the hairpin. He lost control of his car after putting a wheel on the grass, hitting the barriers, rolling over once, with both wheels on the left-hand side of the car being torn off.
The Russian was unhurt but will start in 10th as he had not set a lap time before he went off in the top 10 shoot-out.
Engine manufacturer Honda had a disappointing day at their home event as Jenson Button’s McLaren, 16th fastest, was eliminated in the first part of qualifying, and Fernando Alonso, while he did make it through to the second session, could not continue on to the top 10 and was 14th.
Max Verstappen will start 15th in his Toro Rosso after his car lost power and stopped at the hairpin on his final lap in the first part of qualifying. Although he had already done a lap fast enough to avoid being in the bottom six, with his car stuck on track his participation was done and he did not set another lap time, ensuring he was last in the second session.
Sunday’s race begins at 9am UAE time.
gcaygill@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Australia squads
ODI: Tim Paine (capt), Aaron Finch (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
T20: Aaron Finch (capt), Alex Carey (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth.
MATCH RESULT
Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira: Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')
Everything Now
Arcade Fire
(Columbia Records)
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
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.
The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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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
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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