The 18-year-old is often quizzed on racing family ties Ahmed Rizvi ABU DHABI // Being in motorsport and having Rossi as your surname invites a bit of intrigue. Wherever Alexander Rossi goes, the young American is flooded with queries about his relationship to the multiple MotoGp world champion Valentino. "I get asked if I am his cousin or brother, but no I am not," said the 18-year-old Californian. "It is quite a cool name to have though."
Rossi started in go-karts as a 10-year-old, and has gone on to win the Formula BMW world title and the International Formula Master championship. His successes have seen him secure a ride with Malaysia.QI-Meritus.Mahara in the GP2 Asia and ART Grand Prix in GP3, a move which, he believes, will take him a step closer to his dream of racing in Formula One. Rossi has already test-driven for BMW-Sauber and has pinned his hopes of bagging a regular drive with one of the teams on the Formula One grid on winning both the GP2 Asia and GP3 series. "Driving in F1 has been my goal ever since I first started and I think we are getting close," he said. "Going into GP Asia, I am looking to come out as champion. I have also signed with ART Grand Prix in GP3 and they are the best junior team in the world. So it is going to be a very good year for me. Let's see what it brings.
"My focus right now is GP2 Asia. We will see what happens in the future. Right now, I am just trying to take it one event at a time." Rossi, the first American to race in the GP2 Asia series, has moved to Italy in pursuit of his dream. He cites the timid nature of motor-sports in America as one of the reasons for his move. "I am not saying the talent is less, but the aggression is a lot less in America," he added. "In Europe, you are always fighting to win. In America, that is missing a bit. People are more timid, more cautious and more conservative. In Europe and Asia it is just all out - you go for it and you go for a win, and that's the best kind of racing."
Rossi made his debut in the GP2 Asia series at the Yas Island Circuit in November. He was driving for Ocean Racing Technology then and finished fourth and fifth in the two races of the first round, organised in conjunction with the finale to last year's F1 season. The series returns to Abu Dhabi for its second round on Friday with Rossi behind the wheels of the blazing red of the Meritus team, who are fourth in the championship with eight points, 15 behind leaders iSport International.
Rossi said of his chances: "It's a good car and I am confident in my abilities. With a little bit of luck and a very good qualifying and practice session, we can challenge for a win." @Email:arizvi@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Company%20Profile
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Know your cyber adversaries
Cryptojacking: Compromises a device or network to mine cryptocurrencies without an organisation's knowledge.
Distributed denial-of-service: Floods systems, servers or networks with information, effectively blocking them.
Man-in-the-middle attack: Intercepts two-way communication to obtain information, spy on participants or alter the outcome.
Malware: Installs itself in a network when a user clicks on a compromised link or email attachment.
Phishing: Aims to secure personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Ransomware: Encrypts user data, denying access and demands a payment to decrypt it.
Spyware: Collects information without the user's knowledge, which is then passed on to bad actors.
Trojans: Create a backdoor into systems, which becomes a point of entry for an attack.
Viruses: Infect applications in a system and replicate themselves as they go, just like their biological counterparts.
Worms: Send copies of themselves to other users or contacts. They don't attack the system, but they overload it.
Zero-day exploit: Exploits a vulnerability in software before a fix is found.
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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