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2021 Diriyah E-Prix to launch Formula E season with biggest driver lineup yet

2021 Formula E season kicks off with two nighttime races on Feb. 26, 27. (Supplied)
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Updated 24 February 2021
Arab News
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2021 Diriyah E-Prix to launch Formula E season with biggest driver lineup yet

  • Rookie drivers Norman Nato, Nick Cassidy and Jake Dennis join last year’s winners Sam Bird and Alexander Sims at Diriyah circuit on Feb. 26-27
Updated 24 February 2021
Arab News

With the Diriyah E-Prix double-header of night races set to launch the seventh season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, we look at the 24 drivers from 12 teams taking to the grid on Feb. 26 and 27. 

Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler – Germany

Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler has confirmed Lucas di Grassi and Rene Rast as its driver line-up for season seven.

The 2016/17 Formula E champion Di Grassi is heading into his seventh Formula E season with Audi, and is one of the championship’s most successful drivers, having completed 69 races, bagged a record 796 points and 32 trips up the podium steps — including 10 race wins. 

BMW i Andretti Motorsport – Germany

BMW i Andretti Motorsport has selected rookie Jake Dennis to partner Max Guenther in the championship, with the team citing impressive test and simulator sessions as a key factor in the decision.

The 25-year-old Dennis caught the eye of the team during an intensive selection process, having contested the DTM in 2019 and secured Aston Martin’s best result of the season.

Guenther sealed victory in just his third race for the team back in Santiago, becoming the youngest race winner in Formula E history in the process.

Envision Virgin Racing – UK

Envision Virgin Racing has announced that reigning Japanese Super Formula champion Nick Cassidy will step into the fold alongside Robin Frijns for the season, off the back of achieving the triple crown of Japanese motorsport, aged just 25.

Frijns is now embarking on his third season with Envision Virgin Racing, as he ended season 6 on a high in Berlin with four Super Pole appearances and a pair of podiums on the way to 12th in the drivers’ table.

Dragon/Penske Autosport – US

The team will run with Sergio Sette Camara and Nico Mueller making their return.

Brazilian single-seater hotshot Camara continues with the team for the 2020/21 season, stepping up for a full-time role after an impressive performance in the Marrakesh Rookie Test and following his substitute drive at the six-race finale in Berlin.

DS TECHEETAH – China

After clinching the drivers’ and teams’ titles at the end of a spectacular season six, DS TECHEETAH is looking to assert its authority again in Formula E’s first campaign as an FIA World Championship, with reigning champion Antonio Felix da Costa returning alongside double champion Jean-Eric Vergne in 2020/21 season.

With six seasons under his belt, reigning champion da Costa is one of competition’s most experienced drivers, while Vergne made history after becoming the first back-to-back champion in Formula E following his title-winning campaigns in 2017/18 and 2018/19.

Mahindra Racing – India

Mahindra Racing have confirmed the signing of Alexander Sims for this season, after announcing that Jerome D’Ambrosio will leave the team following the conclusion of season six.

The 32-year-old Brit has been involved with Formula E since its inception in 2014, first as a test and reserve driver before securing a race seat for season five with BMW i Andretti Motorsport.

His new teammate Alex Lynn returned to the championship for the second half of the 2019/20 season in Berlin, taking the vacant seat at Mahindra Racing.

Mercedes-Benz EQ – Germany

Mercedes-Benz EQ heads into its second season in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with an unchanged line-up as Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries partner once again to pilot the Silver Arrow 02.

The German team secured a pair of podiums in the season-opening Saudi Arabia double-header from Diriyah and laid down a marker for the rest with that dominant display in round 11 as the team came home third in the teams’ table.

Nio 333 – UK

NIO 333 has confirmed that Tom Blomqvist will join Oliver Turvey for their tilt at the 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

After joining the championship just in time for the 2014/15 season finale in London, Turvey has since become a long-standing member of the NIO 333 Formula E Team line-up. 

Tom Blomqvist jumped in at Jaguar Racing for rounds 10 and 11 in season six, and caught the eye of the NIO 333 Formula E Team’s after his impressive performance.

Nissan e.dams – Japan

Nissan e.dams has confirmed the retention of its driver line-up for the third consecutive season, with Sebastien Buemiand Oliver Rowland lining up once again for the Japanese marque.

Buemi racked up six consecutive Super Pole qualifying appearances in season six, with a best result of second in Berlin. Rowland, meanwhile, took a breakthrough first victory at the penultimate race of the season to come home fifth overall, just a point behind his teammate.

Panasonic Jaguar Racing – UK

A race winner in every season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Sam Bird will join Panasonic Jaguar Racing for season seven after leaving Envision Virgin Racing at the end of the season.

The 33-year-old is one of a select group of drivers to have competed in every Formula E race since the series’ inception in 2014, tallying nine wins including the first round of Diriyah E-Prix in 2018/2019 season, 18 podiums, five pole positions and five fastest laps to date. 

Kiwi racer Mitch Evans remains with the British motorsport outfit for his fifth campaign in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Tag Heuer Porsche – Germany

Pascal Wehrlein will contest the 2020/2021 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship for TAG Heuer Porsche, with the 25-year-old joining Andre Lotterer in for season seven, replacing Neel Jani.

2020/21 will see Lotterer build on the experience gained in the Porsche 99X Electric and  is joined by new recruit Wehrlein as they challenge for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship title.

Venturi Racing – Monaco

Norman Nato joins Edoardo Mortara at ROKiT Venturi Racing for the 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, with the Monegasque team promoting its long-time test and simulator driver to a full race seat for season seven, replacing Brazilian motorsport legend Felipe Massa.

Nato came third in both the 2018 European Le Mans Series and the 2019/20 FIA World Endurance Championship, including a second-placed finish in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. Season seven marks Mortara's fourth year with the team.

Topics: Diriyah E-Prix 2021 Saudi Arabia

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Israeli soccer team prepares for closed-door match in Hungary after attacks on fans in Amsterdam

Updated 6 sec ago
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Israeli soccer team prepares for closed-door match in Hungary after attacks on fans in Amsterdam

Updated 6 sec ago
The team will face off Thursday against Turkiye’s Besiktas in an Europa League match that was relocated to Hungary
Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Zarko Lazetic told a news conference on Wednesday that his team was focused on its game, regardless of what tensions may exist elsewhere

DEBRECEN, Hungary: Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team returned to Europe on Wednesday for the first time since its fans were assaulted in the Netherlands earlier this month in attacks that were condemned as antisemitic by authorities in Israel and across Europe.
The team will face off Thursday against Turkiye’s Besiktas in an Europa League match that was relocated to Hungary. The contest at Nagyerdei Stadium in the city of Debrecen will be played without fans due to security concerns following the violence in Amsterdam on Nov. 7 that resulted in five people being treated in hospitals and dozens of detentions.
Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Zarko Lazetic told a news conference on Wednesday that his team was focused on its game, regardless of what tensions may exist elsewhere.
“It’s not a question for me what happened outside of the stadium. We saw some videos and everything, but we really try to focus on football,” he said. “We’ll see tomorrow what is the effect.”
The violence in Amsterdam came after local authorities banned pro-Palestinian demonstrators from gathering outside the stadium where Maccabi was playing Dutch team Ajax.
A large crowd of Israeli fans chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the match, video showed. Afterward, youths on scooters and on foot crisscrossed the city in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them, according to Amsterdam’s mayor.
The city’s police commander said the incidents had “an antisemitic character.”
Maccabi press officer Ofer Ronen-Abels said Wednesday the events in Amsterdam “had nothing to do with football.”
Before the assaults, Besiktas had requested its home game against Maccabi, originally scheduled for Istanbul, to be moved to “neutral ground” over security concerns.
The club later said on social media that Hungary was the only country willing to host the match and that Hungarian authorities requested it be played behind closed doors.
Hungary has hosted several home games for Israel’s national team for security reasons since the war in Gaza began.
Maccabi held its final practice session at the Kiryat Shalom training complex in Tel Aviv on Wednesday before departing for Hungary, the team said on its website.

Jeddah set for Fanatec GT World Challenge race

Updated 27 November 2024
SALEH FAREED
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Jeddah set for Fanatec GT World Challenge race

  • Anticipated SAL Jeddah Race, which will be held for the first time in the Kingdom on Nov. 29-30, will feature two major motorsport races and cover 1,000 km
  • Iconic manufacturers taking part include Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes AMG, BMW M Sport, Audi Sport and Ford
Updated 27 November 2024
SALEH FAREED

JEDDAH: Jeddah is all set for the final round of the 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe on Friday when a 49-car field tackles a six-hour Endurance Cup race at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

The anticipated SAL Jeddah Race, which will be held for the first time in the Kingdom on Nov. 29-30, will feature two major motorsport races and cover 1,000 km, making it the longest circuit race in Saudi history.

Iconic manufacturers taking part include Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes AMG, BMW M Sport, Audi Sport and Ford.

The GT4 European Series, supported by RAFA Racing Club, will feature four competitive categories, promising an exciting spectacle for motorsport enthusiasts in Saudi Arabia:

Pro: A showcase for the world’s finest drivers and teams vying for top honors.

Gold: Designed to cultivate and elevate emerging driving talents.

Silver: A competitive platform featuring a mix of amateur and semi-professional drivers.

Bronze: A unique category combining experienced professionals with promising young drivers, offering a valuable learning experience.

Saudi Logistics Services, the official title sponsor for the Jeddah GT Race 2024, announced on Monday the arrival of more than 70 cars from the ports of Barcelona and Valencia in Spain to the port of Jeddah.

The SAL Jeddah GT Race is an endurance racing event that encourages drivers to push their maximum limits and test their stamina, strategy and reliability throughout the intense competition.

The event’s fan zone includes live entertainment and fun activities for families, as well as food festivals.

Topics: SAL Jeddah GT Race

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Messi’s son debuts at Argentina youth tournament as grandparents watch

Updated 27 November 2024
AP
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Messi’s son debuts at Argentina youth tournament as grandparents watch

  • The 12-year-old Messi played with the No. 10 jersey of an Inter Miami youth team
  • Thiago’s mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several members of his family, including grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were in the stands to watch him play
Updated 27 November 2024
AP

BUENOS AIRES: Thiago Messi, the eldest son of the Argentina star, has made his debut in the “Newell’s Cup” tournament in the countryside city of Rosario.

The 12-year-old Messi played with the No. 10 jersey of an Inter Miami youth team, which lost 1-0 on Monday to host Newell’s Old Boys in the traditional under-13 competition. The team also played Tuesday.

Lionel Messi took his first steps as a footballer in the Argentinian club in Rosario, 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of capital Buenos Aires.

Thiago’s mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several members of his family, including grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were in the stands to watch him play. Lionel Messi did not attend.

Thiago, who was substituted in the second half, played with his friend Benjamin Suarez, son of Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, Messi’s teammate and close friend at Barcelona and now at Inter Miami.

Messi and Suarez are in Rosario after Inter Miami’s early elimination in the MLS playoffs. On Sunday, they watched a friendly game of Inter Miami’s U13 team against Union at the same sports complex.

The youth tournament in Argentina brings together eight teams from North and South America.

Topics: Lionel Messi Inter Miami

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Salah ‘in a good place’ at Liverpool despite contract impasse, says Slot

Updated 27 November 2024
AP
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Salah ‘in a good place’ at Liverpool despite contract impasse, says Slot

  • Slot: The only thing I can say is that if I look at my lineups, Mo is more in than out
  • The latest contracts of Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also due to expire at the end of this season
Updated 27 November 2024
AP

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Arne Slot believes Mohamed Salah is “in a good place” and isn’t affected by his contract impasse with the club.

Salah’s latest deal expires at the end of this season and he told reporters after Liverpool’s 3-2 win at Southampton on Sunday that he was disappointed not to have received a new contract offer, saying: “I’m probably more out than in.”

The issue dominated Liverpool’s news conference ahead of Wednesday’s match against Real Madrid in the Champions League, with Slot keen to play down any friction with Salah — and even suggested the situation is making the winger play as well as ever.

“I don’t think it distracts Mo at all,” Slot said Tuesday. “Maybe it even brings the best out of him if you look at his performances until now.

“I talk to Mo about what I expect from him, like I do with all the other players, and he is in a good place at the moment. I’m not distracted by his comments and I don’t feel his teammates are.”

Salah has scored 12 goals in 18 appearances for Liverpool this season and is second in the Premier League with 10 goals in 12 games, only behind Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (12 goals).

Slot even quipped: “The only thing I can say is that if I look at my lineups, Mo is more in than out.”

The latest contracts of Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also due to expire at the end of this season.

“In fairness, it goes for all three of them — Mo, Virgil and Trent are all in similar positions,” Liverpool defender Andy Robertson said. “Every one of them is so focused on the next game and training and preparing properly.”

Topics: Liverpool Salah

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Giannis-less Bucks edge Heat, Rockets advance in NBA Cup

Updated 27 November 2024
AFP
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Giannis-less Bucks edge Heat, Rockets advance in NBA Cup

  • Lillard hit 10-of-17 from the floor and 8-of-13 from 3-point range while passing off 12 assists as the Bucks improved to 3-0 in group play
  • All 30 league clubs play for the NBA Cup in an in-season tournament with teams divided into six groups of five for round-robin play in hopes of advancing to December knockout rounds
Updated 27 November 2024
AFP

WASHINGTON: Damian Lillard scored 37 points to lead Milwaukee to victory at Miami 106-103 in the NBA Cup on Tuesday despite playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a knee injury.

Lillard hit 10-of-17 from the floor and 8-of-13 from 3-point range while passing off 12 assists as the Bucks improved to 3-0 in group play while the Heat slid to 1-2 and never led.

“It’s a game of runs. I got off to a hot start,” Lillard said. “I didn’t try to force the issue. I didn’t want to be passive. I tried to stay aggressive. I was getting the ball out. We just made good plays.”

All 30 league clubs play for the NBA Cup in an in-season tournament with teams divided into six groups of five for round-robin play in hopes of advancing to December knockout rounds with games also counting in the regular-season standings.

The Houston Rockets qualified for the quarter-finals but the surprise was in Miami, where Greek star Antetokounmpo was a late scratch with a left knee injury, leaving Lillard to take the scoring load.

A 26-9 Heat run to end the third quarter cut a 22-point Milwaukee lead to 85-80 entering the fourth and a 16-7 Miami run lifted the hosts level at 96-96 with 4:02 to play.

Milwaukee’s A.J. Green and Miami’s Terry Rozier traded 3-pointers late, the last by Rozier lifting the Heat within 104-103 with 30 seconds remaining.

Green sank another 3-pointer but it was launched just after a shot-clock violation and wiped out, giving Miami the ball with five seconds to play.

Miami’s Tyler Herro missed a 3-point shot and Milwaukee’s Taurean Prince sank two free throws with 1.2 seconds left, setting the stage for a Rozier 3-point miss at the buzzer.

“Guys made shots, played aggressive, we got some stops when we needed it, we made some free throws and that’s what it takes to win close games,” Lillard said.

“We’ve just had a lot of experience in these games where we have lulls in the second half and get into a dogfight. We let a few go early in the season... everybody wants to improve. We want to get right from the jump and I think we’re starting to show that down the stretch in these games.”

Jimmy Butler led Miami with 23 points.

Houston became the second team to clinch an NBA Cup quarterfinal berth, winning 115-111 in overtime at Minnesota to seal the West Group A crown. Golden State has already sealed the West Group C title.

Turkish center Alperen Sengun had a triple double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to spark Houston, which got 27 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds from Fred VanVleet and 22 points from Dillon Brooks.

Reserve Amen Thompson’s basket with 38 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter lifted Houston level at 102-102.

Thompson sank a 3-pointer to ignite an 11-0 Houston overtime run as baskets by Jabari Smith, Brooks and two from Sengun brought the Rockets a 113-105 lead with 54 seconds remaining.

The Timberwolves, led by 29 points from Anthony Edwards, never got within four after that.

French star Victor Wembanyama scored 24 of his game-high 34 points in the first half to spark the San Antonio Spurs to a 128-115 victory at Utah, eliminating the Jazz’s title hopes.

Phoenix stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal returned from calf strains to spark the Suns over the defending NBA Cup champion Los Angeles Lakers 127-100.

Devin Booker had 26 points and 10 assists to lead the Suns while Beal and Durant each added 23 points in their comeback contests.

“Felt great,” Durant said. “We needed this win. Long as we continue to be healthy we’ll be fine.”

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 25 points and 15 rebounds while LeBron James had 18 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in the first Cup loss ever for the Lakers.

A 22-6 run gave the Suns a 98-78 lead entering the fourth quarter and the Lakers never threatened again.

Chicago’s Coby White scored 21 points and Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and 12 rebounds to power the Bulls over host Washington 127-108.

Topics: NBA

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