Sebastian Vettel ended Lewis Hamilton’s domination of practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Saturday when he topped the times ahead of Dutch teenager Max Verstappen.
The four-time champion German was fastest, with his Ferrari teammate Finn Kimi Raikkonen clocking the third best time after Verstappen to leave defending champion Hamilton down in fourth, with Mercedes-GP teammate and championship leader Nico Rosberg fifth.
Hamilton was almost three-tenths down on the pace set by Vettel who lapped in one minute and 40.775 seconds.
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Rosberg was very close behind Hamilton, the pair separated by just one-tenth of a second in a session-ending scenario that suggested Mercedes may not have it all their own way in qualifying later on Saturday.
Championship leader Rosberg has to finish on the podium to clinch his first drivers’ title while Hamilton must win and hope that his teammate finishes outside the top three to retain his title.
But on the evidence of Saturday’s final free practice session a much more competitive than usual fight for pole position is in prospect.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo was sixth in the second Red Bull Racing ahead of Mexican Sergio Perez and his Force India teammate German Nico Hulkenberg.
Finn Valtteri Bottas was ninth for Williams ahead of Mexican Esteban Guttierez of Sauber.
Rosberg leads Hamilton by 12 points with just Sunday’s race remaining this season.
All of the drivers were running on ultra-soft tyres on a hot and dry day at the Yas Marina circuit.
There were few incidents, but both Mercedes men complained about minor problems with their brake systems.
For more from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, including exclusive interviews, information guides, videos and much more, visit our dedicated microsite.
* Agence France-Presse
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
The biog
Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon
Rating:*****
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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