MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2016 SPORTS

‘We need Aurier’, Haas aim for points with Earnhardt notches fastest says PSG’s Matuidi their ‘very first’ F1 car lap in final Daytona 500 BARCELONA: PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi on Saturday offered his newcomers Haas, the sport’s first U.S.- DAYTONA BEACH: Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the fastest lap in final practice support to disgraced team-mate Serge Aurier, insisting that the Ligue 1 lead- owned team in 30 years, presented their 2016 car on Sunday with a for the Daytona 500. Earnhardt, whose car is nicknamed “Amelia,” has ers “need him, whether it be on the field or off it.” “Serge is my friend and is grey and red livery and the designation VF-16 to mark it out as the been strong all week. He reached 197.131 mph on his eighth and final the friend of everyone in the dressing room. He is well-liked by everyone,” said ‘Very First’. “Our goal with this car is to score points,” declared princi- lap Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Matuidi after PSG beat Reims 4-1 at the Parc des Princes as they continued pal Guenther Steiner, who previously worked in Formula One with Defending race winner Joey Logano was second, fol- their relentless march towards another French title. “We know he Jaguar and then when the Austrian energy drinks compa- lowed by Ryan Blaney, Brad Keseloswki and Kurt Busch. made a mistake but, as they say, people make mistakes. He has ny bought that team. “First, we need to go out there and show that Twenty-five cars took part in the final fine-tuning ses- apologised. He will have a discussion with the coach and we hope we can do the job, that we can finish races, that we are respected sion. Fifteen did not to avoid potential damage with the it will be positive.” Aurier was suspended by the club last Sunday by the fans and other teams in the paddock. Then, we want to score season-opening race less than 24 hours away. Matt after appearing in a video on the social media site Periscope in points. That is the ultimate goal.” The car, designed in by Kenseth drove a backup car after crashing in one of the which he directed homophobic insults at PSG coach Laurent and powered by , will make its first public appearance twin qualifying races and turned the most laps. He cir- Blanc and also appeared to insult several team-mates. He will on track at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya on Monday at the start cled the 2 1/2-mile superspeedway 30 times, once more meet with the club’s hierarchy on Monday amid speculation of pre-season testing. The team carried out a brief ‘shakedown’ of than Logano, Blaney and Keselowski. Pole-sitter and rook- that PSG will not play Aurier again and will look to sell the car in Barcelona on Saturday but Ferrari had the circuit to them- ie Chase Elliott had the fastest 10-lap average, con- the Ivory Coast international in the summer for a cut- selves on Sunday for private filming. Frenchman sidered a good indicator of race readiness. price fee. But Matuidi added: “We need him, whether it and Mexican Esteban Gutierrez, who was a Ferrari reserve last sea- He averaged 195.106 mph over his first be on the field or off it, because he is someone who is son after previously racing for Sauber, are the Haas drivers. The sea- 10 practice laps, a tick quicker than Brian liked by everybody.— AFP son starts in Australia on March 20. —Reuters Vickers, Busch and Kevin Harvick. — AP

KOTC shooting tourney concludes

By Abdellatif Sharaa shooters to reach their goals. Al-Osaimi said that more than 75 shooters participated from the club 50 rifle - 3 positions men KUWAIT: Kuwait Oil Tankers Company shooting and National Guard, who completed in a friendly Mohammad Adel, Torky Al-Shimmari, Abdallah tournament was concluded Saturday at Sheikh atmosphere. He said the tournament was held as Al-Harby. Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex in Kuwait shooting is preparing for its most dear the air pistol, air gun, 50m rifle and Olympic international tournament in 2016, which is HH 50m rifle, prone - men archery, in the presence of President of Kuwait the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Khalid Al-Subaie, Abdallah Al-Harby, Torky Al- and Arab Shooting Federations Eng Duaij Khalaf Sabah Annual International Grand Prix which will Shimmari Al-Otaibi, KOTC CEO for Financial and be held from 1st March to March 8th, in which a Administrative Affairs Khalid Al-Quoud, and large number of teams will participate. 50m pistol - men Secretary General of Kuwait and Arab Shooting Results of the tournament were as follows: Saad Al-Ajmi, Hassan Al-Mulla, Ali Al-Mutairi Federations Obaid Al-Osaimi. Air pistol - men The tournament witnessed fierce competi- Mideth Al-Sahaly, Hassan Al-Mulla, Saad Al-Ajmi. 50m rifle prone - women tion and results were close to each other in top Niran Irzouqi, Mariam Irzouqi, Heba Irzouqi places, reflecting the interest of shooters in win- Air rifle - men ning and be selected as members of the national Abdallah Al-Harby, Mohammad Adel, Suleiman Air rifle - women - juniors team keeping in mind that HH the Amir Sheikh Al-Asousi. Heba Irzouqi, Reem Al-Bughaili, Shurooq Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Annual Duwaisan. International Grand Prix is around the corner. Air pistol - women Olympic Archery In his closing ceremony speech Obaid Al- Huthama Al-Baghli, Athari Qurban, Israa Faisal Al-Rashidi, Abdallah Taha, Bader Al-Mutairi Osaimi said Kuwait Shooting Sport Club is proud Bahman. to organize the KOTC shooting tournament each Compound archery men year, due to the company’s contributions in sup- Air rifle - women Ahmad Al-Shatty, Salam Al-Zaid, Amer Al-Hajiri. porting KSSC activities, and encouragement of Heba Irzouqi, Ayat Al-Duwaikhi, Mariam Irzouqi Ferrari threat to Mercedes scrutinised in testing opener

BARCELONA: Ferrari’s ability to the W07 Hybrid in Silverstone last challenge Lewis Hamilton and week. “We take our opposition very Mercedes’ dominance of Formula seriously-especially Ferrari,” said One will be examined as the longest Rosberg. “They are going to be a big season in the sport’s history gets threat so we need to keep pushing.” underway with the first series of Elsewhere, all eyes will be on what testing in Barcelona today. improvements the McLaren-Honda Hamilton is looking for a third partnership has developed in the consecutive drivers’ championship off-season after a disastrous return and the fourth of his career across a to F1 for the Japanese manufacturer mammoth 21 Grand Prix season that last season. starts in Australia on March 20. The Englishman coasted to the IMPROVEMENT title last season as he and Mercedes Former world champions teammate Nico Rosberg won 16 of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button the 19 races. However, Ferrari didn’t even get on the podium as showed signs of a revival with four- McLaren finished ninth in the con- time world champion Sebastian structors’ championship ahead of Vettel claiming the other three race only Marussia, who failed to register wins, exceeding team principal a single point. Maurizio Arrivabene’s pre-season Red Bull will also be looking for expectations. continued improvement as they Arrivabene is now looking for ended 2015 promisingly to finish even more progress from the SF-16H fourth in the constructors’ champi- to be able to challenge Mercedes onship. with Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen-the “We’re looking to build the last man to win a drivers’ title with progress we made at the end of the Ferrari back in 2008 — at the wheel. season and carry that momentum “I think this year, we need to push into the early races,” said team prin- Infiniti’s Formula One a bit more. We would like to fight cipal . until the end for the championship,” However, it was Williams who Arrivabene said at the SF-16H were the best of the rest behind launch. Mercedes and Ferrari last season and involvement progresses “I know that is not going to be are looking for more in 2016 with easy, because our competitors are the partnership of Finland’s Valtteri not sleeping, but we are committed Bottas and Brazilian Felipe Massa KUWAIT: Infiniti’s successful involvement in vehicles is built on the widely-acclaimed 3.5-litre 2011 as partner of the team and to do our best.” Mercedes certainly back for a third consecutive season. Formula One enters the next phase. Starting with hybrid engine. The Q70sedan, equipped with evolved into the title sponsor of the team as of believe Ferrari will be their main “Staying where we are will be a the new 2016 season, Infiniti will be a technical this engine, has been recognized by the the 2013 season. Building upon this experience, obstacle to another season of domi- challenge in itself, but we are deter- partner of the new Renault Sport Formula One Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest Infiniti now takes the logical next step forming a nance. mined to keep improving because team. Leveraging its expertise in performance accelerating full-hybrid car. The same hybrid sys- technical cooperation with the Renault Sports “We see Ferrari as our main threat only winning will ever be good hybrids, Infiniti will contribute engineering tem is also offered on the Q50 sports sedan. Formula One team based on a five-year plan. and it remains to be seen how we enough,” team principal Frank resources to the Renault Energy F1 Power Unit’s Infiniti’s strong expertise will be used by the “At Infiniti, is an important part of position ourselves in the weeks to Williams said at the launch of the Energy Recovery System (ERS), which incorpo- Renault Sport Formula One team in Viry-Ch‚tillon our business strategy,” said Roland Krueger, come,” Mercedes technical director FW38. rates two motor generator units, the MGU-H and as a team of Infiniti hybrid specialists move from President Infiniti Motor Company. “Forming a Paddy Lowe told Sky Sports. The grid extends to 22 cars in MGU-K, and a battery. Infiniti’s technical center in Atsugi, Japan, to technical collaboration and enabling technology “Ferrari are a very strong com- 2016 as thanks to the introduction This new and enhanced involvement France to support development of the Renault transfer road-to-track and track-to-road is the petitor and one we worry about. It of the first American F1 team in 30 strengthens the Renault Nissan Alliance and at Energy power unit. At the same time, Infiniti will logical next step. The establishment of the keeps us motivated to keep us push- years in Haas. the same time leverages the opportunities the use the experience from the F1 ERS system to Renault Sport Formula One Team by our Alliance ing all the time.” Worryingly for Meanwhile, French car giant Alliance provides by creating powerful industrial further enhance its hybrid powertrains for road partner Renault provides us with an ideal oppor- Mercedes’ competition, though, the Renault returns as a constructor double world champions ran a trou- after buying out the financially synergies for its members. cars. tunity to enter this next phase of our long-term ble free 98.2km on a filming day in stricken Lotus team. — AFP Infiniti’s reputation for performance hybrid Infiniti began its Formula One involvement in motorsport strategy.”