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
Mitchell Starc shows class as Kolkata Knight Riders notch IPL win in Mumbai
- Kolkata's first win at the Wankhede ground in 12 years and seventh from 10 games this season
MUMBAI: Mitchell Starc picked up four wickets as a disciplined bowling performance helped Kolkata Knight Riders seal a 24-run victory over Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League on Friday.
Chasing a below-par 170, Mumbai lost wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 145 off 18.5 overs at the Wankhede Stadium.
Suryakumar Yadav raised hopes with a 35-ball 56 but his dismissal in the 16th over tilted the scales in favour of Kolkata.
This was Kolkata's first win at the Wankhede ground in 12 years and seventh from 10 games this season.
Mumbai slumped to ninth position in the 10-team competition after their eighth loss in 11 games.
Kolkata are placed second and well poised to make it to the play-offs.
"Obviously we couldn't form partnerships and kept losing wickets," said Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya.
"There are a lot of questions that will take time to answer. But for now, not much to say."
Mumbai were off to a shaky start, with Starc flattening the leg-stump of Ishan Kishan (13) and Varun Chakravarthy sending back Naman Dhir (11).
The home team got another big jolt when Rohit Sharma, who came in as an impact sub, miscued a shot to be caught off Sunil Narine for 11.
Pandya's poor run of form continued as he was out for one, much to the disappointment of the strong home crowd.
Yadav hit his third half-century of the season and Tim David chipped in with 24 but Kolkata did well to rein in the five-time champions.
Earlier, Kolkata lost five quick wickets including that of the prolific Phil Salt (five) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (six) after being put in to bat.
Tottering at 57-5, Venkatesh Iyer (70) and impact sub Manish Pandey (42) steadied Kolkata with an 83-run stand and ensured a respectable total on the board.
Iyer, who hit a century at the same ground last season, hit three sixes and six fours in his fighting 52-ball knock.
"It's an extremely good feeling, because we haven't won at Wankhede for 12 years," said Kolkata's Varun Chakravarthy.
"This is a very special win because we were down and out in the first innings. The way Venkatesh and Manish pulled it back was great."
Jasprit Bumrah and Sri Lanka's Nuwan Thushara were the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets each and troubling the batsmen with their line and length on a lively wicket.
Saudi table tennis players ‘happy’ to compete against world’s best
- Fast-rising stars speak ahead of Saudi Smash 2024, the Kingdom’s first professional table tennis event
- Competition will feature a 64-player men’s and women’s singles main draw alongside a 24-pair main draw for men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s table tennis stars of the future, Abdulaziz Bu Shulaybi and Ali Alkhadrawi, have voiced their appreciation after being given a platform to showcase their talent and compete against the best in the world.
The two spoke on Friday at a press conference ahead of Saudi Smash 2024, the Kingdom’s first professional table tennis event.
Hassan Hayyan, a board member of the Saudi Table Tennis Federation, and head of the competitions and referees committee, attended the conference along with Bu Shulaybi and Alkhadrawi.
Bu Shulaybi said: “It’s a great feeling that a major table tennis event is happening in Saudi Arabia. I have been to many tournaments around the world, but this one really has impressed me — the level of organization is unbelievable, and thanks must go to everyone who has worked hard to make it happen.
“With 20 of the greatest players in the world all involved, going head-to-head with them is an opportunity to compete with the best, learn from them, and ultimately improve.”
Alkhadrawi said: “It’s a dream for any Saudi player to play this tournament. We were very happy to be chosen for this opportunity and to compete against very high-level players.”
“We have received great support,” he said. “We’re very lucky to have the Saudi Table Tennis Federation supporting us.”
He had inspirational words of encouragement for the Kingdom’s emerging talent.
“My message to the next generation of professional Saudi players is that the possibilities are endless. So long as they are disciplined, dedicated, and listen to their coaches, the opportunity and potential are there to reach new heights and make it far in this sport.”
Hayyan said: “Hosting such a major international table tennis event is a testament to the unwavering support we’ve received from the Kingdom’s leadership.”
He said that Saudi Smash “represents the latest chapter in Saudi Arabia’s sports evolution, and we’re sure it will be remembered for many years to come.”
Following three days of qualifying matches from Wednesday to Friday, the main competitions get underway on Saturday, with eight days of world-class table tennis action in store for spectators.
The event consists of a 64-player men’s and women’s singles main draw alongside a 24-pair main draw for men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles.
A series of thrilling showdowns are locked in across each competition after Thursday’s draw, with some of Saudi Arabia’s fastest-rising table tennis stars in action.
World Endurance Championship camel race starts Saturday at AlUla
- Event has a prize pool of more than SR2 million
- 20 male and 15 female jockeys from the first stage will qualify for the final
ALULA: The Saudi Camel Federation and the Royal Commission of AlUla Governorate are co-organizing the first edition of the World Endurance Championship camel race on Saturday at AlUla Camel Track.
The event has a prize pool of more than SR2 million ($533,000), and the results for the men and women riders will be calculated separately, according to a media statement on Friday.
The championship event includes a 16 km race split into two stages of 8 km each, with a 30-minute break in between.
Twenty male and 15 female jockeys from the first stage qualify for the final. The results will be calculated according to the best timings in the two stages.
The winners in each of the categories will be awarded SR500,000 while the remainder of the prize pool will be distributed between 10 riders in the men’s category and 10 in the women’s category.
All federations are permitted to participate with 10 male and five female riders.
Riders whose countries are not members of the International Camel Racing Federation will be allowed to participate under the ICRF’s flag with a maximum of three participants and the option to borrow camels.
According to the ICRF, participating camels must be over 18 years old and registered by and type.
In September, the General Assembly of the ICRF, chaired by Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, approved the launch of the first edition of this championship.
Man City’s Foden wins football writers’ award
- Foden is the third City player in the past four years to win football’s oldest individual award
- The 23-year-old Foden received 42 percent of the votes, heading off competition from Arsenal’s Declan Rice and his teammate Rodri
LONDON: Manchester City’s Phil Foden was Friday named Footballer of the Year by the English Football Writers’ Association, with the club’s Khadija Shaw scooping the women’s award.
England attacking midfielder Foden joins a roll call of famous names including Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, George Best and Kenny Dalglish.
Foden is the third City player in the past four years to win football’s oldest individual award, following Ruben Dias in 2021 and Erling Haaland last year.
The 23-year-old Foden received 42 percent of the votes, heading off competition from Arsenal’s Declan Rice and his teammate Rodri, who came third in a ballot of the FWA’s near 900-strong membership.
Foden has scored 24 goals this season as Pep Guardiola’s City chase a Premier League and FA Cup double.
“Being named the Football Writers’ Association footballer of the year is a huge honor,” said Foden. “I’m very, very happy to receive this award but I could not have done it without the help of my teammates.”
Guardiola praised his player but said he could get even better.
“The impact in the final third is really good, the work ethic,” he said. “Every year, due to the amount of games he’s playing, the minutes he’s playing, he’s more mature and he understands the game but he has to continue. He’s still young.”
“Depends on him, simple as that,” Guardiola added. “I promise you, it depends on him. Mentality, want more, do it again, do it again, be better in this department, I will live 24 hours for my game and for my profession. It depends on him, like all the players.”
Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, who has scored 21 goals in the Women’s Super League, pipped Chelsea’s Lauren James, with the two taking a combined 80 percent of the vote.
Jamaica international Shaw will miss City’s final two games of the Women’s Super League season with a foot injury but is almost certain to finish as the top-scorer in the WSL as Gareth Taylor’s side close in on the title.
“I am very proud and privileged to have received this award and to be recognized in this way is a special honor,” said Shaw, 27.
“I want to also thank all of my teammates. They provide me with the chances to score goals and I could not have won this award without them.”
Real Madrid’s Courtois to return after nine-month injury layoff
- Belgian international Courtois, 31, has missed the entire season with a knee ligament injury
- “Yes, Thibaut is fine. He will play tomorrow (Saturday) after a long period of absence,” said Ancelotti
MADRID: Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will play his first match for the Spanish club after a nine-month injury layoff against Cadiz this weekend, coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Friday.
Belgian international Courtois, 31, has missed the entire season with a knee ligament injury and suffered a further setback in March which required another knee operation.
“Yes, Thibaut is fine. He will play tomorrow (Saturday) after a long period of absence,” said Ancelotti.
“He’s looking forward to playing. We’re delighted to see him return.”
La Liga leaders Real Madrid have their first chance to be crowned champions this weekend, although they need a helping hand from this season’s shock title challengers Girona.
Madrid host Cadiz on Saturday and if they win and Girona take any points off defending champions Barcelona immediately afterwards, Los Blancos will earn a record-extending 36th Spanish title.
Courtois has been back in team training for several weeks, and was part of the Madrid group to travel to Germany this week to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinal first leg 2-2 draw.
Asked about a possible start for Courtois in the Champions League final if they reach it, Ancelotti replied: “The final we have in mind is Wednesday against Bayern, in which (Andriy) Lunin will play, and then we will see.”
In 2022, Courtois was the prime architect of Real’s Champions League triumph, proving himself to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
