Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez of Racing Point has tested positive for coronavirus. EPA
Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez of Racing Point has tested positive for coronavirus. EPA
Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez of Racing Point has tested positive for coronavirus. EPA
Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez of Racing Point has tested positive for coronavirus. EPA

Sergio Perez tests positive for coronavirus while Racing Point docked points over car design


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Sergio Perez has been ruled out of the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix after testing positive for coronavirus, which means he will miss a second consecutive race, his Racing Point team said on Friday.

It was the second unfortunate news for the team on the day, with Racing Point to be docked 15 championship points after a complaint from Renault that it had copied elements from Mercedes' world championship-winning 2019 car was upheld, the FIA revealed.

On Thursday, Perez was given the green light by English health authorities to race at Silverstone after serving seven days in quarantine.

But ahead of practice, his Racing Point team said his latest test was positive and the 30-year-old will be replaced again by German driver Nico Hulkenberg.

Racing Point said Perez, who contracted Covid-19 after visiting his mother in Mexico following last month's Hungarian Grand Prix, was "physically well and recovering".

Hulkenberg, 32, made an impressive return in practice and qualifying for last Sunday's British Grand Prix but was unable to start the race due to a power unit problem.

The outlook is bad for Racing Point as team as well. They will lose 7.5 points for each of their two cars participating in the 2020 season.

It means that ahead of Sunday's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone, Renault move up to fifth place in the manufacturers' standings on 32 points and Racing Point slip to sixth, on 27 points.

The stewards said in a statement that the team would not have to redesign their car.

"It is the view of the stewards that the penalty rendered at the Styrian Grand Prix was proportionate for the violation of the design process...and a further penalty of reprimand is sufficient for the Hungarian and British Grands Prix," they said.

The stewards said the penalty was "intended to penalise the potential advantage Racing Point may have accrued in the brake duct design process" and recognised it was not realistic to expect the team to "unlearn" what it already knew.

Racing Point, owned by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll and powered by Mercedes engines, has also been fined €200,000 (Dh867,000) per car. Racing Point can appeal the decision.

________________

Hamilton's last-lap drama at Silverstone

  • Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, of Mercedes, after wining the British Grand Prix for the seventh time at Silverstone on Sunday, August 2. Reuters
    Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, of Mercedes, after wining the British Grand Prix for the seventh time at Silverstone on Sunday, August 2. Reuters
  • Lewis Hamilton inspects his punctured tyre after victory in the British GP. AFP
    Lewis Hamilton inspects his punctured tyre after victory in the British GP. AFP
  • Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes after wining the British GP. EPA
    Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes after wining the British GP. EPA
  • Lewis Hamilton after winning at Silverstone. AP
    Lewis Hamilton after winning at Silverstone. AP
  • Lewis Hamilton driving on the last lap with a puncture at Silverstone. Getty
    Lewis Hamilton driving on the last lap with a puncture at Silverstone. Getty
  • Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas suffers a puncture with two laps to go at the British GP. Reuters
    Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas suffers a puncture with two laps to go at the British GP. Reuters
  • Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas in action during the race. Reuters
    Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas in action during the race. Reuters
  • Racing Point's Lance Stroll at Silverstone on Sunday. Getty
    Racing Point's Lance Stroll at Silverstone on Sunday. Getty
  • Red Bull's Thai driver Alex Albon steers his car during the British Grand Prix. AFP
    Red Bull's Thai driver Alex Albon steers his car during the British Grand Prix. AFP
  • Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone. AP
    Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone. AP
  • Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton drives during the British Grand Prix. AFP
    Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton drives during the British Grand Prix. AFP
  • Lewis Hamilton leads at Silverstone. AFP
    Lewis Hamilton leads at Silverstone. AFP
  • Charles Leclerc of Ferrari during a pitstop for new tyres. Getty
    Charles Leclerc of Ferrari during a pitstop for new tyres. Getty
The specs

Engine: 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged

Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic

Power: 445bhp

Torque: 530Nm

Price: Dh474,600

On Sale: Now

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

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Roll of honour

Who has won what so far in the West Asia Premiership season?

Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain

Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons

West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins

UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles

West Asia Cup - Winners: Bahrain; Runners up: Dubai Exiles

West Asia Trophy - Winners: Dubai Hurricanes; Runners up: DSC Eagles

Final West Asia Premiership standings - 1. Jebel Ali Dragons; 2. Abu Dhabi Harlequins; 3. Bahrain; 4. Dubai Exiles; 5. Dubai Hurricanes; 6. DSC Eagles; 7. Abu Dhabi Saracens

Fixture (UAE Premiership final) - Friday, April 13, Al Ain – Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins

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

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Ballon d’Or shortlists

Men

Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Sergio Aguero (Aregentina/Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Netherlans/Barcelona), Hugo Lloris (France/Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (Serbia/Ajax), Kylian Mbappe (France/PSG), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands/Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus), Alisson (Brazil/Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands/Juventus), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Portugal/Manchester City), Son Heung-min (South Korea/Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Brazil/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (France/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Brazil/Paris-SG), Raheem Sterling (Eengland/Manchester City), Joao Félix(Portugal/Atletico Madrid)

Women

Sam Kerr (Austria/Chelsea), Ellen White (England/Manchester City), Nilla Fischer (Sweden/Linkopings), Amandine Henry (France/Lyon), Lucy Bronze(England/Lyon), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands/Arsenal), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany/Lyon), Pernille Harder (Denmark/Wolfsburg), Sarah Bouhaddi (France/Lyon), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC), Lieke Martens (Netherlands/Barcelona), Sari van Veenendal (Netherlands/Atletico Madrid), Wendie Renard (France/Lyon), Rose Lavelle(USA/Washington Spirit), Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride), Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Lyon), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden/CD Tacon), Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden/CD Tacon), Tobin Heath (USA/Portland Thorns)

 

 

Maestro
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 
  • Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000 
  • HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000 
  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000 
  • Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000 
  • Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000 
  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.6-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 285bhp

Torque: 353Nm

Price: TBA

On sale: Q2, 2020

The%20specs
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How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENever%20click%20on%20links%20provided%20via%20app%20or%20SMS%2C%20even%20if%20they%20seem%20to%20come%20from%20authorised%20senders%20at%20first%20glance%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAlways%20double-check%20the%20authenticity%20of%20websites%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEnable%20Two-Factor%20Authentication%20(2FA)%20for%20all%20your%20working%20and%20personal%20services%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOnly%20use%20official%20links%20published%20by%20the%20respective%20entity%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDouble-check%20the%20web%20addresses%20to%20reduce%20exposure%20to%20fake%20sites%20created%20with%20domain%20names%20containing%20spelling%20errors%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
PROFILE BOX

Company name: Overwrite.ai

Founder: Ayman Alashkar

Started: Established in 2020

Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai

Sector: PropTech

Initial investment: Self-funded by founder

Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors

RACE CARD

6.30pm: Baniyas Group 2 (PA) Dh 97,500 (Dirt) 1,400m.

7.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m

7.40pm Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,400m

8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,400m

8.50pm Rated Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,600m

9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 1,200m

10pm Handicap (TB) Dh 85,000 (D) 2,000m

Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm

Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm

Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm