Al Gharafa Down Al Arabi; Gutsy Umm Salal Hold Rayyan Fawad Hussain Points, While Al Arabi Stayed on Fumbled with His Shot
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SPORT Friday 1 December 2017 PAGE | 21 PAGE | 21 PAGE | 23 Serena, Kuznetsovaa Kohli’s India look to Magical uncertain for record books in eymar lifts Australian Open Sri Lanka Test PSG Michelisz set for thrilling duel in Doha Rizwan Rehmat The Peninsula onda star Norbert I feel strong and confident; I feel like there’s Michelisz is hoping nothing to lose in the championship really, I’ve momentum remains always been trying to catch up. Of course, on his side as the there is a bit of extra excitement, but so far, Hungarian bids to Houtshine World Touring Car it’s like a usual race weekend: Michelisz Championship (WTCC) points leader and arch-rival Thed Bjork ahead of tonight’s final round at the Losail International Circuit (LIC). With a tally of just 6.5 sepa- What’s rating the two WTCC stars in the points race, Michelisz yesterday looked remarkably calm at the at stake? pre-event media conference held at Qatar’s iconic race track. The Peninsula “Right now, I feel strong and confident; I feel like there’s noth- he most wide-open sea- ing to lose in the championship son in a decade will go really, I’ve always been trying to Tdown to the wire in the catch up,” Michelisz said. Middle East when three coveted “Just three races ago in Japan titles are decided at Qatar’s I was more than 30 points behind, spectacular floodlit showdown now it’s 6.5, so I’ll just try to carry today. After 18 races over nine this momentum through the weekends in four continents, it weekend,” he added as Bjork all comes down to the duel in looked on. British Driver Robert Huff, Morocco’s Mehdi Bennani, British Driver Tom Chilton, Sweden’s Thed Bjork and Hungarian star Norbert the desert when the FIA World Michelisz said he feels relaxed Michelisz pose for a photograph following a press conference held at the Losail International Circuit yesterday. Touring Car Championship going into tonight’s final round (WTCC) for Drivers and Manu- that will see drivers competing for facturers, plus the WTCC Trophy 60 points over two races. for independent racers are “Of course, there is a bit of settled. extra excitement, but so far, it’s The third WTCC Race of like a usual race weekend,” Michelisz tops first Free Practice at Losail Qatar will conclude a thrilling Michelisz said yesterday. year of high-speed action and The Peninsula ‘green’ but it was a bit less grip than Tom Chilton lost significant track “We just have free practice WTCC: FREE PRACTICE 1 intense competition with 10 sessions today, so there’s not I expected to be honest. In the end time after a brush with a tyre barrier drivers having taken race wins really much at stake right now. I’m orbert Michelisz of Hungary last it’s the same as always, everybody left his Citroën with front-end and seven still in mathematical really just focussed on the job of evening made the perfect start has the same issues with grip but it’s damage and a lengthy repair job, 1: Norbert Michelisz (HUN) - M contention for the overall crown being well prepared for tomor- Nto his bid to win the FIA World always nice to end up in the front. while Esteban Guerrieri’s session was - Honda Civic WTCC prior to some classic Friday Touring Car Championship (WTCC) by “But I don’t think we should read curtailed by an oil leak in his Honda. row,” he added. - 02:01.595 night fever touring car style. Besides Michelisz and Björk, clocking the fastest time in Free Prac- too much into this because we still The Argentine nevertheless However, with 6.5 points there are a total of six drivers who tice 1 at Losail International Circuit need to improve the set-up. It’s nice ended up as the Losail International 2: Rob Huff (GBR) - T- Citroën separating the title top two, could mathematically still win the (LIC). to be P1 and I hope we can continue Circuit rookie in sixth positon for the C-Elysée WTCC- 02:01.906 Polestar Cyan Racing’s Thed championship. The Castrol Honda World Touring like this through the event,” he added. factory Honda team. 3: Thed Bjork (SWE) - M- Bjork and Castrol Honda World Car Team driver outgunned Rob Huff Polestar Cyan Racing’s Thed Dániel Nagy limped into the pits SLR Citroëns drivers Mehdi Volvo S60 WTCC- 02:01.915 Touring Car Team’s Norbert Bennani of Morocco Great Brit- by 0.211s with a final-lap charge to Björk, 6.5 points in front of Michelisz with a technical issue. Kris Richard Michelisz, Volvo Polestar 12.5 ain’s Tom Chilton are 39.5 and 45 boost his earlier advantage of 0.089s. in the title chase, was 0.320s behind stopped on track when his Campos 4: Nicky Catsburg (NED) -M- points in front of Honda and points behind respectively. “It’s a decent start but I was in third. Nicky Catsburg was fourth Racing Chevrolet ground to a halt Volvo S60 WTCC- 02:01.984 Tom Chilton a mere half a point Michelisz and Björk’s team- struggling with overall grip,” Michelisz with four-time champion Yvan Muller and had to be pushed into the pits 5: Yvan Muller (FRA) -M- ahead of Mehdi Bennani in the mates Esteban Guerrieri and said. fifth and 0.771s slower than Michelisz by trackside marshals during a red WTCC Trophy and Rob Huff only Nicky Catsburg are also in con- “I expected the circuit to be on his return to the WTCC. flag period. Volvo S60 WTCC- 02:02.366 seven points behind Chilton, the tention. Bjork will be driving for 2017 season closer at the Losail Polestar Cyan Racing in his Volvo International Circuit will be the S60. ultimate winner takes-all When asked to comment battle. Castrol Honda about his mental state going into Who’s in contention? With the final round, Bjork said yester- World Touring 60 points up for grabs, Thed day: “I’m not really thinking about Car Team’s Bjork (255.5 points), Norbert (them). It feels like this is the Hungarian driver Michelisz (249), Mehdi Bennani showdown and the fight (between Norbert Michelisz (216), Nicky Catsburg (211.5), myself and Norbert).” in action during Tom Chilton (210.5) and Esteban He added: “If we were really the first free Guerrieri (205) can all take crazy and took out each other on practice of WTCC world title glory for the first the first lap, then I think we’d be Qatar Round time. handing the championship to the at the Losail Tiago Monteiro’s total of 200 others, but I don’t think we will do International would also have been enough to that. We would like to have a good Circuit yesterday. keep him in the fight but the fight and see what happens Portuguese will be in Qatar in a through both races.” supporting role while he con- He explained: “It feels great, tinues to recover from a testing nice to be here, really relaxed and crash in September. I’m looking forward to start driv- ing because that’s what we’re all to do my best regardless of the here for. Everybody wants to go points gap to the others behind. Qatari driver Ibrahim QTTC Free Practice: Al Abdulghani clocks fastest time out on track and thinking about it We’ve seen many times before in Al Abdulghani in before makes not so much sense.” motor sport anything can happen, action during the first Bjork said a dogfight is on the so I’m not counting them out, but free practice of the cards. I’m not focussed on the people new Qatar Touring “I think it’s great we are here, behind,” he said. Car Championship that we can fight until the last cor- “When we are on the circuit (QTTC) at the ner, maybe, hopefully. It’s a nice we proved many times we can final, it feels nice to be here. So fight quite harsh against each Losail International much effort has been put into this other. I don’t know. We are all try- Circuit yesterday. Al to be fighting for the champion- ing to achieve the main goal, Abdulghani clocked ship and it feels good. The which is to win the world cham- the fastest time atmosphere is good and I like it,” pionship. You can like somebody yesterday while the popular Swede said, outside the circuit but I think you Saadon Al Kuwari “My target is not to look at have to separate what’s happen- and Abdulla Al what others are doing,” Michelisz ing on the circuit and what’s Khelaifi were placed said. happening off the circuit. In the second and third “I’m not approaching the race end I expect fair racing, a clean respectively. weekend with the thought of win- fight and for me this is the most ning the championship; I just want important thing,” Michelisz said. SPORT FRIDAY 1 DECEMBER 2017 21 Kohli’s India look to record books in Sri Lanka Test New Delhi in January. It was a 2015 tour This file photo Kumar who in turn destroyed reality check -- Nagpur was Sri AFP of Sri Lanka that started India’s taken on the Sri Lankan batting in the Lanka’s biggest Test defeat. victory march that moved to November 27, opening Test on a green Eden Their batting has floun- irat Kohli’s India have Sri eight series when they white- 2017 shows Gardens pitch in Kolkata.