The 2012 World Rally Championship gets underway in Monte Carlo today despite a winter filled with doubts over the future of the series.
That uncertainty came after the parent company of North One Sport, the championship's commercial rights holder and promoter, went into administration in December.
That left North One Sport, owned by Convers Sports Initiatives, seeking investment to continue in its role, and the 10-year agreement they had with the FIA was terminated last week as the world governing body said it had seen no evidence that a purchase of the company was to take place.
That left the series without the required timing and tracking infrastructure and an agreement for television production and distribution and cast doubt over the staging of the season opener.
But it has since been confirmed that Eurosport will cover this week's event in the principality and the Automobile Club de Monaco will provide their own timing and tracking system, ensuring the event can go ahead as scheduled.
The saga has overshadowed the Monte Carlo Rally's return to the series after a three-year absence, and the event promises to be a gruelling test for man and machine.
The 80th running of the rally takes place over five days, as opposed to the standard three-day format, and the mileage covered will be the most in a WRC event since the 2002 Safari Rally.
The event will see Mikko Hirvonen make his Citroen debut after making the bold move to switch from Ford and join eight-time world champion Sebastien Loeb at the French team.
Hirvonen's departure has left his Finnish compatriot Jari-Matti Latvala to lead the Ford challenge alongside Petter Solberg.
Latvala ended his 2011 season with a win on Wales Rally GB, and he hopes his growing confidence on asphalt means he can kick off 2012 with a strong result on a "classic" event.
"I feel I'm more competitive on asphalt than ever," he said. "All the pieces are there for a successful year - a strong team, a competitive car and two good drivers.
"We need to put them together for the entire season, and if we do that then we can fight for the manufacturers' and drivers' world titles.
"I've driven a Ford for several years, but this season I believe we have the best chance of winning."
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Itcan profile
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Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
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
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
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