Nico Rosberg put a brave face on as he walked to the podium at Monza on Sunday after his second-place finish at the Italian Grand Prix.
He received some jeers from the Italian crowd as he stood on the gantry, which hangs over the start-finish straight and that sums up the situation the German finds himself in.
He is winning the drivers’ championship from his Mercedes-GP teammate Lewis Hamilton, but he is losing the popularity contest.
His collision with Hamilton in Belgium two weeks ago worked out well for him on the track as he finished second and scored 18 points to the zero of his teammate who did not finish.
The Belgian crowd were unimpressed by the incident as Rosberg was heavily booed after the race. It appears the Italians were similarly unimpressed, judging by their reaction.
It was not a good day for Rosberg. He was beaten by Hamilton and had his points lead cut to 22 with six races of the season to go. But what would have rankled the most was the manner of the defeat.
He had led in the beginning as he capitalised on Hamilton’s slow start and he was four seconds clear when the Briton moved to second after he had overtaken the Williams of Felipe Massa.
Rosberg had already shown how hard he was pushing by out-braking himself at Turn 1 on Lap 8, and having to go through the painfully slow run-off area, which consisted of zigzagging through some cones.
Hamilton was marginally quicker than him, as he had been all weekend, and had cut the gap down to less than a second when Rosberg repeated his out-braking error at the same corner on Lap 29.
This gifted the lead to Hamilton and he went on to win for the sixth time in 2014, a thoroughly deserved victory as he had out-performed Rosberg.
It is still not a bad situation for Rosberg, given his points lead, but it is hard to look beyond the fact that without Hamilton’s misfortune with mechanical unreliability it would be the 2008 world champion who would be top of the standings and not the German.
Hamilton has failed to finish three of the season’s 13 races, two through car failure (Australia and Canada), and one through the damage to the chassis caused by the puncture that was a consequence of his collision with Rosberg in Belgium.
He has also had issues in qualifying. A brake failure in Germany and an oil leak in Hungary meant he started at the back of the grid for both those races, hurting his victory chances at both events.
Rosberg has failed to finish just once in 2014, in Britain when a gearbox problem caused him to stop while leading.
In the nine races that both Mercedes drivers have finished this season, Hamilton has out-scored Rosberg 191-177.
This is not meant to bash Rosberg’s performances. He has driven well this season against a man who is regarded by many in the F1 paddock as the fastest driver in the series on pure raw pace and Rosberg still has an outstanding opportunity to follow in his father Keke, the 1982 world champion, and take the title.
Rosberg had, until Belgium, not made a serious mistake in a race all season, and had matched Hamilton’s speed through consistency and his ability to set up his car well.
The problem is he has not demonstrated the speed or the magic to win when things have not gone his way.
Hamilton has produced a number of stirring comeback drives to pick some strong results after starting down the grid through qualifying problems – some as a result of his own mistakes – and finishing third in Hungary after starting in the pit lane was a sensational result.
If Rosberg is beaten to the title by Hamilton, and by less than seven points, then Bahrain back in April is a race he should look back at with regret.
He had taken pole in Sakhir, but lost out at the start to his teammate. He clearly had the better set-up on his car, was faster, yet could not pass Hamilton, unable to make a move stick as the Briton’s race craft proved too good.
When you have the fastest car, barring mechanical problems, you really have to win if you are to be world champion, as there will be days when you do not have the advantage.
Hamilton was cheered on the podium at Monza, probably out of respect for a sterling drive that had seen him recover from fourth place to beat his teammate fair and square on a day when he was the quicker overall package.
He hunted down Rosberg and the German cracked and that has to be a huge boost for Hamilton ahead of the next round in Singapore on September 22, a venue he goes well at having won there in 2009 and taken pole position twice there too.
Rosberg has never been in a title battle in his nine years in F1, while Hamilton has one title to his name, and has missed out on two others at final races.
The evidence of Belgium and Italy is that Rosberg is not coping with the pressure well and he must raise his game if he is to be taken seriously as a world champion in the making.
Races that both Hamilton and Rosberg have finished in 2014
Race Hamilton Rosberg
Malaysia 1st 2nd
Bahrain 1st 2nd
China 1st 2nd
Spain 1st 2nd
Monaco 2nd 1st
Austria 2nd 1st
Germany 3rd 1st
Hungary 3rd 4th
Italy 1st 2nd
gcaygill@thenational.ae
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
Company%20Profile
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
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Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Messi at the Copa America
2007 – lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final
2011 – lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals
2015 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
2016 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
Company%20Profile
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Maggie Rogers
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Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
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