Force India return to the scene of their most successful race in Formula One this weekend with little hope of repeating last year's Belgian Grand Prix heroics.
The team took their first Formula One pole position at Spa-Francorchamps last August through Giancarlo Fisichella, the Italian driver, who then went to score the team's first points in the world championship as he finished second behind Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari in the race.
Fisichella is now a Ferrari test driver while Force India are sixth overall in the championship with Adrian Sutil, the German driver, and Vitantonio Liuzzi, the Italian racer, scoring regular points throughout the campaign, but remaining a long way from battling for a podium finish.
Vijay Mallya, the Force India team owner, said: "It's going to be tough to replicate the kind of form we showed in Spa last year."
"Everybody's improved, the competition is fierce and also very even in the midfield - the gaps between teams is so small now."
Force India should still be competitive in Belgium, with the Mercedes-powered team bringing a new rear wing package in addition to the "F-duct" which should give them a speed advantage on the long Spa straights.
"Additionally we will be using the new blown floor on both cars on Friday," said Mallya.
"We tried it in Hungary, and we hope to actually race it in Spa if the information we gather shows as much of an improvement as it did there."
Sutil said he was looking forward to a strong performance in Sunday's race.
"I'm pretty confident that we've got a car that will still suit the track very well," he said.
* Reuters
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Brief scoreline:
Wales 1
James 5'
Slovakia 0
Man of the Match: Dan James (Wales)
The biog
Favourite book: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Favourite holiday destination: Spain
Favourite film: Bohemian Rhapsody
Favourite place to visit in the UAE: The beach or Satwa
Children: Stepdaughter Tyler 27, daughter Quito 22 and son Dali 19
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Tuesday
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Game is on BeIN Sports
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
