TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 12

Real’s Valverde sustains fractured leg Gazoo Racing’s legend to bow out in Bahrain WEC 8 Hours of Bahrain at BIC to determine drivers’ World Championship between the Toyota crews of Buemi, Nakajima, Hartley and Conway, Kobayashi, Lopez

Federico Valverde • The WEC 8 Hours of Reuters | Madrid Bahrain this weekend at BIC will not only eal Madrid midfielder be the final race of KNOW WHAT RFederico Valverde is set the 2019/2020 WEC for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a fracture in season, but also the last his right leg during Sunday’s appearance on track The TS050 Hybrid of 4-1 defeat at Valencia in La of the LMP1 category, Toyota Gazoo Racing Liga, the Spanish champi- which makes way for the has helped the team ons said yesterday. new win the world cham- Real did not say when the pionship in 2018-2019 Uruguay midfielder could class next season and 2019-2020, along expect to return from the with 18 WEC races, 15 injury, although Spanish TDT | Manama media re-ports said he pole positions and 14 would be out of action for oyota Gazoo Racing’s fastest laps, including at least a month. three-time Le Mans-win- the fastest-ever lap at “Following tests carried Tning TS050 Hybrid car the iconic Le Mans 24 out on our player, Federico will compete for the final time Hours race Valverde he has been diag- this weekend, when the 2019- nosed with a fracture in the 2020 FIA World Endurance TS050 means a lot to me, it is The Toyota Gazoo Racing crews of Buemi, Nakajima and Hartley, right trio, with Conway, Lopez and Kobayashi, the #8 posteri-or tibial bone in his Championship (WEC) season a big part of our three Le Mans TS050 Hybrid and the trophies won with the car over the years right leg. His recovery will concludes with the 8 Hours of wins and our World Champi- continue to be assessed,” Bahrain. will be a showdown for the closer competition in LMP1 by begins at 2pm on Saturday and onship last season. I am real - Real said in a statement. Since its debut in 2016, the drivers’ world championship imposing lap-time penalties will end under BIC’s bright ly proud with what we have The injury means Val - TS050 has a record of 33 WEC crown. The #8 car of reigning based on the championship floodlights. achieved as a team with this car verde will miss Uruguay’s races, 18 wins, 15 pole positions champions Sebastien Buemi, standings for all races, exclud- “Following the excitement of but I prefer to look to the future World Cup qualifying and 14 fastest laps, as well as and Brendon ing Le Mans. our third consecutive Le Mans and we are fighting for another matches against Colombia recording the fastest-ever lap of Hartley, lead the standings by Conway, Kobayashi and Lopez win, we go to Bahrain deter - World Championship on Sat- and Brazil this month. Le Mans. It also helped Toyota seven points after their victory have already won once this sea- mined to say goodbye to our urday.” Real, who are fourth in Gazoo Racing win the world in the Le Mans 24 Hours. son in Bahrain, heading a Toyota TS050 Hybrid in the best pos- Kobayashi commented: “I La Liga with 16 points, vis- championship in 2018-2019 and Teammates , Gazoo Racing one-two back in sible way,” said team president think it will be a good battle it Villarreal in their first 2019-2020. and Jose Ma- December 2019, while the team Hisatake Murata. between the two TS050 Hy- game after the international Following this week’s Bahrain ria Lopez, in the #7 TS050, are is looking for its third consecu- “We have achieved so much brids. Both crews want to win break. race, the TS050 will head into behind in the title race for the tive win in the Kingdom. and experienced so many emo- the World Championship so we Asked about the impact of retirement, to be replaced by first time this season following A compressed timetable tions with this car, so we all feel will be pushing each other very the West Ham game, Mour- a new car for the 2021 season, their misfortune at Le Mans, sees a single practice session some sadness that the TS050 hard. Whoever wins the race inho said: “We felt the pain designed according to the new but they will compete at Bahrain on Thursday evening before a HYBRID has reached the end of will win the title but it’s not as against West Ham and since Hypercar regulations and based International Circuit (BIC) with busy Friday, which includes two its career. But the new Hypercar easy as that; eight hours is a long then strategically the team on the GR Super Sport road car a favourable success handicap. practice sessions and qualify- category is coming and this is time so we need to make sure we is behaving in a different currently in development. Success handicaps were in- ing. The eight-hour race, which very exciting.” have clean race, and get to the way. The final race of the TS050 troduced this season to promote takes place behind closed doors, Buemi commented: “The end without trouble.” Ibrahimovic might leave Dar Kulaib and Al Najma next penalty to a team mate triumph in volleyball openers Reuters | Milan TDT | Manama

latan Ibrahimovic might ar Kulaib and Al Najma Zleave AC Milan’s next pen- Dwere both victorious last alty to team mate Franck Kes- night in their opening matches sie, he said after missing his of the 2020/2021 Isa bin Rashid third spot kick of the season in Volleyball League. their 2-2 draw with Verona on Dar Kulaib came from a set Sunday. behind to overcome a spirited The 39-year-old later scored fight from A’ali 3-1 (21-25, 25-11, Milan’s equaliser in stoppage 26-24, 25-20) while Al Najma time but not even that could fought hard to defeat Al Nasser diminish his frustration. 3-2 (23-25, 25-22, 21-25, 25-20, “It’s obvious I’m angry, a 16-14) in a hotly contested en- draw today is not good, we counter that went well over had a lot of chances and I also two hours. missed the penalty,” he said. “I With the results, both Dar might let Kessie take the next Kulaib and Najma joined de- Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan misses a penalty kick fending league champions Mu- harraq and Al Ahli as winners one.” “he’s missed the last one”, as the of their respective matches in Kessie was Milan’s designat- Swede went to take the penalty the first week. A’ali and Nasser Dar Kulaib players in action against A’ali last night ed penalty taker before Ibrahi- which went sailing over the joined Busaiteen and Bani Jam- movic was signed in January bar. rah with losses. tee president. Games are being to bounce back when they go 3 and the Ivorian had a good re- “He’s not wrong, I did miss This year’s first division played at the BVA arena at Isa against Busaiteen at 6pm fol- penalty kicks have cord, converting nine out of 10 the last one,” said Ibrahimovic. league, organsied and run by Sports City in Riffa. lowed by Dar Kulaib taking on been missed by Zlatan attempts. After playing twice a week for the Bahrain Volleyball Asso- League action continues on Najma at 7.30pm. On Sunday, Ibrahimovic this season With no spectators at San nearly one month, Ibrahimovic ciation (BVA), is being held in Saturday and Sunday at the Nasser face Al Ahli in the early Siro, Verona’s goalkeeper Mar- said he was looking forward to honour of the late Shaikh Isa same venue, with two games fixture, while Bani Jamrah take co Silvestri could be heard pro- a two-week break before the bin Rashid Al Khalifa, the for- on each day. on Muharraq in the evening’s voking Ibrahimovic, repeating next game. mer Bahrain Olympic Commit- On Saturday, A’Ali will look main game.

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