Sebastien Ogier celebrated winning the World Rally Championship drivers’ title in style as he won Rally France on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Sebastien Loeb, the man he replaced as champion, endured an ignominious exit from the sport.
Ogier, who had clinched the title on Thursday on the opening power stage, showed why he will have the No 1 on his Volkswagen car next season as he came back from third place overnight to triumph by 12.2 seconds over Abu Dhabi Citroen’s Dani Sordo.
“There has been so much emotion this weekend,” Ogier said of taking the title and his seventh win of the season.
“We pushed to the maximum, then and this morning, we soon made a gap at the front. Then we had to bring the car home, which was not easy in the rain and mud.”
Ogier was trailing in third place going into the yesterday’s final leg of six stages, but posting the fastest times during the opening two stages saw the 29-year-old Frenchman move ahead of his Finnish teammate Jari-Matti Latvala and Sordo to take the lead in the race.
The real drama came on the first stage of the day as Loeb, the most successful driver in the sport’s history, flipped his car in his final race.
The Frenchman, who had claimed the previous nine world titles, winning 78 times in the process, spun as he looked to fight for victory in his Abu Dhabi Citroen, having started the day five seconds off the lead.
Loeb told Autosport of the incident: “I started flat out. In our situation, we were fighting for the victory and it didn’t go as I planed.
“I lost the rear, we had a spin and we ended in a ditch. For sure, I would have preferred to finish on the podium on this rally.”
Sordo and Latvala completed the podium behind Ogier, with the two M-Sports of Thierry Neuville and Evgeny Novikov finishing fourth and fifth, ahead of the second Abu Dhabi Citroen car of Mikko Hirvonen.
Rashid Al Ketbi achieved his best result of the season in the World Rally Championship (WRC) as he finished third in the WRC2 category.
The Emirati, who drives for the Skydive Dubai team, finished 16th overall in his Ford Fiesta.
“I promised myself that I would take a podium finish here and I am delighted to have achieved that,” he said. “The car and the team were fantastic.”
sports@thenational.ae
Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The specs: Volvo XC40
Price: base / as tested: Dh185,000
Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 250hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.4L / 100km
The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
CREW
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
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- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
