LONDON: Felipe Massa believes Saudi Arabia’s arrival on the Formula E starting grid can help accelerate the all-electric car series’ ambitious drive to challenge Formula One’s global popularity.
The Saudi capital of Riyadh will host the first Formula E race in the Middle East — and Massa’s debut in the four-year-old championship — on Dec. 15.
It is the 2018/19 season-opener, which will be staged in Riyadh’s Old City of Ad Diriyah, the first of 13 races the electrically powered cars will tackle across the globe.
Massa ended his illustrious 15-year career in F1 in 2017, so is well placed to assess how Formula E compares to motorsport’s premier championship.
His Formula E bow coincides with the arrival of next-generation cars, and Massa admits he has been astonished by the level of interest in his new discipline as it prepares to take the Kingdom by storm.
“Can Formula E challenge Formula One in popularity? I think so. You never know. Everything is possible,” Massa, who won 11 grand prix, told Arab News.
“Things change really quickly and electric cars are the future. Maybe in a few years, most of the cars on the road will be electric. I would say maybe I have more sponsors now than I had with Williams. The number of companies interested in Formula E now is unbelievable.
“If you see how much the season is growing with new cars, it shows the level of the championship and shows how much it is growing. I think that’s really amazing to see that and amazing to be part of that.
“I think it will be a championship that will grow more compared to other championships.”
The Brazilian ace, who will be racing for the Monaco-based Venturi team, hailed Saudi Arabia’s arrival in Formula E as “a great thing” both for the Kingdom and the fast-growing sport.
He says the Kingdom can profit hugely from the international recognition it will gain — just like Bahrain and the UAE, which held their first Formula One grands prix in 2004 and 2009 respectively.
“Nobody knew much about Bahrain before their Grand Prix but I think F1 helped Bahrain to grow and improve, get bigger and get more internationally known,” said the 37-year-old, who raced for Sauber, Ferrari and Williams in F1. “The same thing happened in Abu Dhabi and I think more or less the same (can happen) with Saudi Arabia. Everybody knows how strong the country is, but (not many people) go there. This will be a great experience to go there to develop the sport in the country.
“I know that Saudi Arabia is investing a lot to develop the country, inside the country, to promote itself as more international. Sport is the best thing for that and I am really looking forward to racing there as I really enjoyed all the races I did in the Middle East.”
It is understood that activities for women will be a feature of December’s ground-breaking race, much to the delight of Massa.
He described this as “very important” in the year that Saudi has lifted its ban on women and, when asked whether a female motorsport star could ever emerge from the Kingdom, he replied: “Why not? Definitely. I support ladies in motorsport. It would be fantastic to be fighting (on the track) with a woman. I had Susie Wolff as my teammate when she was a test driver at Williams. We did fantastic together and now she’s my team principal (at Venturi).
“I really hope some other ladies can have an important future in motorsport and one day we can have a great driver coming from Saudi Arabia.”
Massa, racing alongside the Swiss-Italian Edoardo Mortara, has not set any specific targets for his first season in Formula E.
“For the moment, my target is to do my best all the time on the track. I need to learn the tracks as I don’t know any of the tracks I’m going to race on.
“I prefer to keep my feet on the ground, keep learning and keep understanding and hopefully have a good season. I want to be competitive and fight for some podiums and maybe (secure) victories.
“That would be fantastic if we can achieve that and I hope to stay in this championship for a long time.”
Massa’s longevity in Formula One is laudable given that he competed against all-time greats such as Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
His best performance came in 2008 when Hamilton pipped him to the championship by just one point, but Massa has no regrets overall.
“I really have nothing to regret and I am really proud of everything I did. At the end, I am looking forward.”
Massa is lavish in his praise of the all-conquering Hamilton, who is all but assured of a fifth world title this season — just two behind the record haul of Michael Schumacher.
“Can he beat Schumacher’s record? I think so,” he said of the Mercedes maestro. “To see his age (33) and see the car he’s driving now, how competitive it is, I think he will definitely be fighting for the championship in the next years. I don’t think big changes will really happen next year or the year after.
“He will be already five times world champion this year and for his age, everything is possible to beat the number of championships that Michael Schumacher won but also the number of victories as well.
“He can have every record. He deserves it. What he did in the second part of the season is amazing.
“For sure Ferrari and [Sebastian] Vettel have made many mistakes, but Lewis did an amazing job.”
Massa expects Vettel to be Hamilton’s greatest challenger again next season and reckons Charles Leclerc of Sauber can “be a big future champion.”
Formula E can challenge F1 popularity, says Felipe Massa
Formula E can challenge F1 popularity, says Felipe Massa
- The Saudi capital of Riyadh will host the first Formula E race in the Middle East
- Massa believes Saudi Arabia’s arrival on the Formula E starting grid can help accelerate the all-electric car series
Inter beat Como to keep in touch with leaders Atalanta
- Como, coached by Cesc Fabregas, slipped a spot to 16th and sit just one point clear of the relegation zone
MILAN, Italy: Inter Milan saw off Como 2-0 on Monday to stretch their unbeaten run in Serie A to 11 games and move back to within three points of leaders Atalanta.
Defender Carlos Augusto headed in from a corner early in the second half before Marcus Thuram wrapped up a fourth successive league win with a thumping finish in stoppage time.
Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer made a crucial save on the hour to deny Nico Paz an equalizer as Simone Inzaghi’s side showed signs of weariness at the San Siro in what was their third outing in a week.
Thuram’s goal was his 12th of the season and sent him level with Atalanta striker Mateo Retegui for the league lead.
“Marcus is a high-class player who always trains well and has adapted very quickly to the way we play,” said Inzaghi.
“You have to congratulate Como for coming here and giving it their all, but we stayed focused and showed great maturity.”
Third-placed Inter are a point behind Napoli but have played a game less than the top two teams after their match with Fiorentina was called off at the start of December following Edoardo Bove’s sudden collapse.
Reigning champions Inter visit lowly Cagliari this weekend and could put the pressure back on Atalanta, who are away to Lazio in the late game on Saturday.
Como, coached by Cesc Fabregas, slipped a spot to 16th and sit just one point clear of the relegation zone.
Fiorentina lost more ground in the title race after falling to a 2-1 home defeat by Udinese.
Moise Kean’s early penalty gave Fiorentina the lead as they sought to shake off last weekend’s loss to Bologna that snapped the club’s eight-match winning streak in Serie A.
However, Udinese equalized shortly after half-time through Lorenzo Lucca and former France international Florian Thauvin curled in the winner from outside the area.
“The most important thing for me is not the goal but the victory. These are three important points against a very strong team,” said Udinese captain Thauvin.
Udinese stayed ninth and are eight points off the European places.
Complete lineup for February UFC event in Riyadh announced
RIYADH: Organizers confirmed on Monday the complete list of fighters for the UFC Fight Night event in the Saudi capital on Feb. 1.
Israel Adesanya versus Nassourdine Imavov is the main event for the second UFC event held in the Kingdom.
The card features Dagestani fighter Said Nurmagomedov (18-3-0) will face Brazilian Vinicius “Lok Dog” Oliveira (21-3-0), while Tajik Muhammad Naimov (11-3-0) squares off against Australian Kaan Ofli (12-3-1).
In another bout, American Terrance McKinney (15-7-0) will clash with Denmark’s Damir Hadzovic (14-7-0), and Austrian Bogdan Grad (14-2-0) will meet Brazilian Lucas Alexander (8-4-0).
Highlighting Arab representation, Egyptian Hamdy Abdelwahab (5-0-0) will take on American Jamal Boggs (11-4-0), while Bahraini Shamil Gaziev (13-1-0) faces a tough challenge against American Thomas Petersen (9-2-0).
The excitement continues as Americans Jordan Leavitt (11-3-0) and Abdul Kareem Al-Selwady (15-4-0) battle it out, and Russian Sergei Pavlovich (18-3-0) faces Surinamese fighter Jairzinho “Bigi Boy” Rozenstruik (15-5-0).
Dagestani Ikram Aliskerov (15-2-0) will take on Brazilian André Muniz (24-6-0) in a blockbuster bout.
Adesanya, the Nigerian-born New Zealander, is one of UFC’s all-time greats, making a return after a title fight against Dricus du Plessis earlier this year. He is determined to reclaim his dominance with a decisive victory over Imavov.
In June the UFC hosted the first ever event in the Kingdom, bringing the premier fighting championship to Saudi fans of MMA.
Tickets are available for the event at the anb Arena on Jan. 3.
Saudi striker Saleh Al-Shehri out of remainder of Gulf Cup after injury in first match
- Loss of the player, a standout performer recently, after picking up a muscle injury in Sunday’s 3-2 defeat by Bahrain is a significant blow
KUWAIT CITY: Saudi national team striker Saleh Al-Shehri has been ruled out of the remainder of the 26th Gulf Cup after sustaining a muscle injury during the Green Falcons’ opening match against Bahrain on Sunday.
Head coach Herve Renard made the decision to send Al-Shehri home from the team’s training camp after medical reports confirmed the injury will require treatment and rehabilitation.
Saudi Arabia suffered a 3-2 defeat in the match against Bahrain. The loss of Al-Shehri, a key player and standout performer for the team in recent months, will be a significant blow for the squad as they attempt to get their Gulf Cup campaign back on track against Yemen at Jaber Stadium in Kuwait on Wednesday.
During a training session on Monday evening, Renard divided the squad into two groups, with the players who started on Sunday focusing on recovery exercises in the gym while the remainder of the squad trained on the pitch at Al-Nassr Club Stadium.
Moves afoot for Saudi cricketers to host Sri Lanka’s stars
- ‘We plan to bring our cricketers for a friendly match with Saudi team,’ Sri Lanka envoy says
RIYADH: With the popularity of cricket in Saudi Arabia growing by leaps and bounds, do not be surprized if you see Sri Lankan cricketers playing with the Saudi team in the near future.
The Sri Lankan ambassador in Riyadh, Omar Lebbe Ameer Ajwad, in an interview with Arab News on the 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, said: “We have very cordial relations and, importantly, have taken initiatives to further elevate our bilateral ties in all areas of mutual interest, one of them is cricket.
“We are in touch with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation. So we will work with them in the future, to organize bilateral matches, cricket matches between the two sides, the Sri Lankan team and the Saudi team,” the envoy told Arab News.
“We are planning to have the kind of bilateral ties in which the cricket team can visit. So we are working on that. We have initiated some talks. I met SACF Chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud,” Ajwad said.
The SACF chairman has also visited Sri Lanka for cooperation in cricket, he added.
“We will bring our cricket stars here, to start some kind of a friendly match. Maybe we can work on that to mark the occasion as we are celebrating 50 years of our diplomatic ties,” the ambassador said.
"All these projects are in our plan. Of course, we are having a list of items to celebrate this milestone in our bilateral relations,” he added.
Sri Lankan cricket star and former captain Kumar Sangakkara was in NEOM as part of the second season of the NEOM and Rajasthan Royals’ cricket program, he said.
“He was in NEOM. So in the future we will interact like this, bringing Sri Lankan cricketers to the Kingdom,” he added.
Indian cricket star and former captain Rahul Dravid, who is head coach of the Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals, also attended the NEOM cricket program.
The Red Sea city of Jeddah last month hosted the TATA IPL mega auction at the Abadi Al-Johar Arena that attracted a galaxy of international cricket stars and the celebrity owners of the IPL franchises.
The SACF described the TATA IPL mega auction as “a historic sporting achievement in Jeddah.”
On X, the IPL posted: “TATA IPL partners got to experience ‘TATAIPLAuction’ in Jeddah like never before,” describing the event as “a historic moment in the TATA IPL Auction.”
Pakistani cricketing legends including Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar also visited the Kingdom in the recent past and held meetings with the SACF chairman to discuss the development of cricket and ways to cooperate.
Game Changers Falcons crowned champions of World Tennis League season 3
- Game Changers Falcons beat TSL Hawks 20-16
- Coach John-Laffnie de Jager lauds team’s spirit
ABU DHABI: Game Changers Falcons clinched the World Tennis League season three title with a hard-fought 20-16 victory over the TSL Hawks at the Etihad Arena on Sunday.
Despite losing the first two sets — women’s doubles and singles — Game Changers Falcons staged a remarkable comeback, dominating the men’s doubles and singles to claim the title.
In a rematch of the season opener, Game Changers Falcons’ Elena Rybakina and Caroline Garcia began strongly, breaking the opening serve of the match against the TSL Hawks’ Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva.
Despite their stellar performances in the league stage, Sabalenka and Andreeva looked unsettled early on. However, they mounted an impressive comeback as they recovered from a 0-5 deficit to level the score at 5-5.
Rybakina and Garcia then managed to break serve again to regain the lead, but a series of unforced errors allowed their opponents to force a tie-break.
In the tie-break, Sabalenka and Andreeva found themselves trailing once again but displayed remarkable composure to turn the tables and clinch the women’s doubles set 7-6.
Teenage sensation Andreeva carried her remarkable form into the women’s singles against Rybakina. She broke Rybakina’s second and third serves to gain the upper hand and comfortably close out the set 6-2, extending the TSL Hawks’ overall lead to 13-8 in the match.
In the men’s doubles, Game Changers Falcons’ Andrey Rublev and Denis Shapovalov dominated the entire set against the TSL Hawks’ Sumit Nagal and Jordan Thompson. They broke Nagal’s serve twice to maintain the lead and sealed the set 6-2. This win narrowed the overall game tally to 14-15, setting the stage for a thrilling men’s singles.
Rublev held his opening serve to level the overall game tally at 15-15 before winning three consecutive games to take an 18-15 lead. While Nagal managed to pull a game back, Rublev closed the men’s singles set 6-1 to help his team clinch the title 20-16.
“I’ve done team events for a while, and I’ve been very fortunate over the years to have really good people on the team,” Game Changers Falcons coach and captain, John-Laffnie de Jager, said at the post-match press conference.
“They get along well, they’re professional, they show up and at the end of the day, they perform. First time when we played against the Hawks, we were behind, we came back from that point to win it and the same happened tonight.
“So, the format is great, because you are never out and always have a chance to win it. It was an awesome campaign for us, and everybody enjoyed it.”
Game Changers Falcons’ Garcia said: “In tennis it’s not very often you have an opportunity to play in a team setup, and I really enjoyed it. I had a great time knowing a bit more about everyone in the team and looking forward for more fun next year.”
