LONDON // Force India have released driver Giancarlo Fisichella to join Ferrari for the rest of the season, the Formula one team said today.
"Giancarlo and his management team approached me yesterday with the proposal from Ferrari," the Force India team principal Vijay Mallya said in a statement.
"For any Italian driver, a Ferrari race seat is a long-held dream and for Giancarlo it was no exception. No one should stand in the way of this.
"Furthermore the agreement will secure Giancarlo's long-term future with Ferrari and it would be incorrect to jeopardise this, particularly when Giancarlo has made such a vital contribution to Force India."
A decision was reached following extensive discussions over the past 24 hours, with Force India reluctant to part with Fisichella in the wake of his stirring second place finish at Spa on Sunday - the team's first ever points in the sport.
But Fisichella has now been freed and will become the first Italian to drive for Ferrari in the Italian Grand Prix since Ivan Capelli in 1992.
"I am very grateful to (Force India owner) Vijay Mallya for allowing me this opportunity to drive for Ferrari," said 36-year-old Fisichella.
"It is true that it has always been an ambition to do this, and for Vijay to have allowed it to become a reality is very generous.
"I hope in turn I have helped Force India grow up and be on the right path to achieve their own ambitions.
"They are now a very competitive team and I wish them all the very best."
Ferrari have been anxious to find a better replacement for the injured Felipe Massa after the team's longtime test driver, Luca Badoer, qualified last and finished no better than 14th in his first two races since stepping in for the Brazilian.
Mallya dismissed speculation a deal for Fisichella had been agreed with Ferrari in return for money apparently still owed for engines used last season.
"We would like to stress we have not agreed any financial settlement with Ferrari," added Mallya.
"This agreement has been made in good faith and for the good of Giancarlo and the sport in general.
"A competitive Italian driver in a Ferrari for Monza is a positive story for Formula One, which can only help raise the sport's profile in these difficult times.
"We would like to thank Giancarlo for all his help over the past one and a half seasons, and for delivering us our first world championship points last weekend.
Ferrari's home race - the Italian Grand Prix in Monza - is next on the F1 calendar, on September 13.
* Agencies
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
THE LIGHT
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