With the World Rally Championship's Great Britain climax under a fortnight away the championship leader Mikko Hirvonen will steer a non-competitive safety car in the Cambrian Rally - the WRC season finale's traditional warm-up event.
The BP Ford Abu Dhabi driver, who leads Citroen's Sebastien Loeb by a solitary point ahead of the title decider, had explored entering outright, but ultimately opted for the eye-catching role of safety car - the vehicle which will drive ahead of the 150-strong field in Llandudno, Wales.
"After three days competing on the asphalt roads of Spain last weekend, it's important for me to regain a good feel on gravel ahead of Rally Great Britain," said the Finn, who won the 2002 Cambrian Rally.
In addition to a surface familiarisation exercise, the safety car duty will allow Hirvonen to practise being the first car on the road - similar to the "sweeping" role bestowed on him as championship leader that he will endure during the WRC decider's opening day.
"Driving on the Cambrian Rally in a competitive environment will improve my familiarity with the nature of the Welsh forests. It will be the perfect way to ready myself for what should be a thrilling final round," added Hirvonen.
Having lost out to Citroen in the manufacturers' championship for the second year running, Ford team director Malcolm Wilson's gaze is fixed firmly on Hirvonen's bid to win in Wales and secure a maiden championship; a result which would end also Loeb's half-decade domination of the sport.
"Mikko's role as safety car means he will drive at competitive speeds," said Wilson. "It will be the ideal way for him to focus on the week ahead, which will be the most important few days of his rally career. We take a one-point lead to Rally Great Britain, so we expect the most exciting title fight in recent years."
Despite reports he is also considering a Cambrian Rally outing, Loeb has yet to declare his pre- Rally Great Britain plans.
The tarmac specialist's Citroen team, however, traditionally conduct an extensive gravel-based test in the run-up to the season's curtain call.
Meanwhile, Qatar's Nasser al-Attiyah - the Middle East Rally Champion - will also contest the October 17 event as he finalises his own preparations for the following weekend's WRC showdown.
@Email:emegson@thenational.ae
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
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The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
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Starring: Prabhas, Saswata Chatterjee, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Shobhana
Rating: ★★★★
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (rated 100+) US$175,000 1,200m
Winner: Baccarat, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (78-94) $60,000 1,800m
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7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 $200,000 1,600m
Winner: Heavy Metal, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.15pm: Handicap (95-108) $125,000 1,200m
Winner: Yalta, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm: Balanchine Group 2 $200,000 1,800m
Winner: Promising Run, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,800m
Winner: Blair House, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,400m
Winner: Oh This Is Us, Tom Marquand, Richard Hannon
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: SmartCrowd
Started: 2018
Founder: Siddiq Farid and Musfique Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech / PropTech
Initial investment: $650,000
Current number of staff: 35
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Various institutional investors and notable angel investors (500 MENA, Shurooq, Mada, Seedstar, Tricap)
Company profile
Company name: Letswork
Started: 2018
Based: Dubai
Founders: Omar Almheiri, Hamza Khan
Sector: co-working spaces
Investment stage: $2.1 million in a seed round with investors including 500 Global, The Space, DTEC Ventures and other angel investors
Number of employees: about 20
SPEC SHEET: APPLE M3 MACBOOK AIR (13")
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Camera: 1080p FaceTime HD
Video: Support for Apple ProRes, HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10
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In the box: MacBook Air, 30W/35W dual-port/70w power adapter, USB-C-to-MagSafe cable, 2 Apple stickers
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
The biog
Name: Capt Shadia Khasif
Position: Head of the Criminal Registration Department at Hatta police
Family: Five sons and three daughters
The first female investigator in Hatta.
Role Model: Father
She believes that there is a solution to every problem
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.