We all have our favourite cafes and restaurants along the Riviera, but no one apparently more so than Hollywood great Robert de Niro.
When he learned that Tetou in Golfe-Juan was threatened by a legislative act to close down beach eateries along the coast, his message to local policy-makers made through the pages of French daily Nice Matin: “Please do not destroy these magical establishments in your area!”
The American star defended beach establishments threatened with demolition on the Côte d’Azur because of a Beach Decree.
De Niro has been absent from Cannes this year due to filming commitments, but that hasn’t diminished his enthusiasm for the local delicacies.
“I have been coming to the Côte d’Azur for many years but last week I learned with amazement that the beach restaurants were going to be demolished in favour of prefabricated cabins without soul. It is difficult for me to understand the desire to destroy such establishments that are culturally, historically and gastronomically, invaluable to the heritage of your region,” the star wrote.
He added, “I cannot imagine coming to this wonderful region without visiting all these mythical establishments, from Menton to Saint-Tropez, via Golfe-Juan where Tetou has been a must for more than a century. Artists and celebrities have come here, as have I, with my family and friends for unforgettable moments. Please do not destroy these magical institutions and make sure to preserve everything that adds to the attractiveness and international influence of your splendid region.”
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel has won the Monaco Grand Prix having started in second place on the grid and enhancing his lead in the drivers’ championship rankings. Second was Kimi Raikkonen, also in Ferrari, with Daniel Ricciardo for Red Bull in third place.
Pole position is much more important than any other factor at the Monaco Grand Prix, and not to have it is recognised as a major handicap. In addition, the cars themselves were marginally wider in this year’s 75th edition, adding to the near impossibility of overtaking.
The line-up at the start was not how it had been imagined at the end of the Spanish Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton – the winner in Barcelona – started in 13th place after tire problems in qualifying sessions and from the very start on Sunday was almost ruled out of a podium position.
“That’s pretty much the weekend done,” he said on Saturday. “I will try to get into the Top 10 but it will be a nice Sunday drive, I imagine.”
In his Ferrari it was Kimi Raikkonen who took pole, the first time he’d had the top position in nine years, and from Lap 1, the Finn built up a formidable lead. By Lap 5 he’d built up a 1.5 second lead over Sebastian Vettel, which fell back to just over the second mark before Ferrari teammate Vettel took over at the front of the pack.
Button had an unsatisfactory return to Monaco, starting at the end of the grid and making up only two places, one after Hulkenberg retired and the second after Wehrlein hit the barrier in spectacular fashion at Portier.
More drama was added by Sauber’s Ericsson in the 64th lap, when he lost grip at Saint Devote, possibly on tarmac that was resurfaced on Saturday night. The safety car deployed and after the 66th racing lap the same thing happened at Sainte Devote to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, bringing the field down to just 15 before the final laps.
It was an exciting Monaco Grand Prix, certainly confounding the critics who regard the race as a 78-lap procession.
Space Trust, the non-partisan and non-profit initiative launched in Monaco, has presented an innovative forum on Capitol Hill: “ZeroG [0G] Summit, Space Diplomacy in the Age of NewSpace” which featured Congressman Jim Bridenstine and Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna, as the Guest of Honour.
The event, co-hosted by the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, saw an impressive turnout and engaged leading stakeholders from the US space industry, architects of space policy, decision makers from the Hill and government agencies to utilise space as a sustainable tool for conflict resolution and peace making on Earth.
“At the height of potential conflict, America’s first communications satellite conveyed a message in the voice of President Eisenhower to the entire world: ‘Through this unique means I convey to you and to all mankind America’s wish for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men everywhere.’ Today space still represents a vision of peace, cooperation and trust. Space Trust is continuing this legacy,” said Congressman Bridenstine.
The event on the Hill was a precursor to the annual 0G Summits on Earth which will be launched in September 2017, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, to engage world leaders, peace makers, space actors, civil society and youth to find innovative solutions for a peaceful world.
Together, these efforts are strategically aligned toward “0G Summit 2030”—the First Peace Summit in Orbit—in support of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and more specifically, the work of the United Nations “Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space” (COPUOS).
“Space technology and applications are invaluable tools for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. UNOOSA is committed to working with partners around the world to promote and facilitate space to solve humankind’s greatest challenges, and I appreciate Space Trust’s dedication to this work,” said Ms Di Pippo, Director of UNOOSA.
Namira Salim, Founder & Executive Chairperson of Space Trust, said: “I believe such a monumental peace initiative has the potential to galvanise our common humanity from space. I invite the US as a leading spacefaring nation, to join the international community in supporting the high level inaugural 0G Summit in September toward 0G Summit 2030 in Orbit.”
Space Trust was launched in Monaco in 2015 in the presence of HSH Prince Albert and in partnership with leading space agencies.
Monaco resident Novak Djokovic will take over this week as the new face of Lacoste, the French sports label. The world Number Two will start his stint at the French Open, which started on Sunday, May 28, where he will be defending the title he won last year eight-time major winner Andre Agassi “by his side” as coach.
Thierry Guibert, Lacoste’s CEO, welcomed the company’s new ambassador at a presentation held at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. Mr Guibert presented the player with a crystal Baccarat statue of a crocodile, Lacoste’s logo.
The sponsorship agreement covers all of Djokovic’s sports clothing, except for his shoes, which will remain with Adidas as the official footwear provider.
The Serb’s five-year contract with Japanese company Uniqlo expired after the Italian Open final, which ended in straight sets defeat for Djokovic against 20-year-old Alexander Zverev. The Lacoste sponsorship will also last for five years.
Djokovic said values are important to him. “We face a lot of adversities and challenges … and a lot of egos.”
The 30-year-old added, “Today’s world represents a lot of challenges but it’s a beautiful world. I think at the end of the day we are all human and we all make mistakes and we learn from them. We try to grow from them, to evolve and be better.”
Prince Albert and Bianca Senna at Fairmont Monte Carlo Photo: Jerry Andre
Three World Champion titles, 161 Grand Prix, 65 pole positions and 41 victories, including six in Monaco for which he holds the record, Ayrton Senna may be the most popular driver in Formula 1 history. His exploits in the rain, his tenacity and his rivalry with Alain Prost are among the great memories of Formula One at the turn of the 1980s and through the 1990s.
Considered one of the greatest drivers in the history of F1, Ayrton Senna da Silva’s status has far exceeded that of a simple sports champion, which is why he became an enduring idol in Brazil.
On the 30th anniversary of his first Monegasque victory, a Grand Prix Suite has been dedicated to him at the Fairmont Monte Carlo and inaugurated by his niece and Director General of the Ayrton Senna Institute, Bianca Senna.
In the presence of HSH Prince Albert, a commemorative plaque was unveiled at the entrance of the hotel before a procession of international journalists came up to discover the suite, which offers a balcony on the famous Fairmont hairpin curve as well as on the entrance to the Louis II tunnel.
After the Jean Alesi Suite, the David Coulthard Suite and the Sir Stirling Moss Suite, this is a new space dedicated to this triple World Champion. Mrs Senna’s private collection of photos, books and other items relating to the driver have been incorporated in the suite, as the hotel pays its own a unique tribute.
Felipe Massa will race his 15th Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday
ML: You started karting at the age of 8. How did you start driving so young and were you competitive from a young age?
FM: I started practicing at the age of 8 – which is quite late in fact, many others begin as young as five or six – and then racing within a year. I finished 3rd, on the podium, in my first race so yes, I have always been competitive in my life.
ML: What are some of your strongest memories during the seven years you were karting? FM: Actually, when I was 6, I had a little bike, like a motocross, and I started to get a bit wild. My father was a little scared and he said four wheels would be better.
I remember driving a go-kart for the first time. I understood right away this is what I wanted to do for my whole life. I used to watch F1 when I was a kid and loved everything to do with the sport – racing, competing, cars, adrenaline … but I never imagined I would ever be part of it. My dream to be a professional driver got closer and eventually I began doing what I love.
ML: How did you end up driving for Sauber, your first Formula One team? FM: I started racing in smaller categories in 1998, so I did two years in Brazil in Formula Chevrolet – the first year I finished 5th and the following year I won the Brazilian championship.
The year after I came to Europe. I had no money and needed to find a sponsor but I only got enough money to do six races of the Italian championship in the Formula Renault. I started winning and in the end, in 2000, I did the Italian and the European championships and I won both.
The following year, I raced in the Formula 3000 before moving to Formula One in 2002. I was 20 when I did my first F1 race.
It was amazing, but when you reach F1, you are competing with the top of the top. I was racing for Sauber, not a very competitive team and most of the other drivers were there because they had won everything, so it is a lot more competitive, more difficult … a completely different level.
ML: At 20 years old you were living your dream in the fast lane. Did anyone give you advice? FM: It was definitely my father who gave me the best advice. But I would say that the person who taught me the most was Michael Schumacher. When I was in Formula 3000, I had the chance to have a meeting with Ferrari at the beginning of the season. Jean Todt said, ‘OK, now I know you. If you win the championship, come back here and we’ll talk.’
I won, and I signed an 8-year contract with Ferrari as a young driver. It was a complete secret.
It didn’t mean that I was going to drive for Ferrari, only that Ferrari was interested in helping me, to find a team for me to race with, through my performance.
So I was racing with Sauber and part of Ferrari young drivers, I had a very good relationship with Michael Schumacher and the year after, I became a Ferrari test driver and I spent a whole year with him, learning. He was like a teacher. I did another two years with Sauber 2004/5. In 2005/6, I had the opportunity to race for Ferrari when they changed drivers and in my first year I was Michael’s teammate. It was amazing.
I stayed eight years with the team. After Schumacher, I had raced the longest with Ferrari.
Felipe with wife Anna Raffaela Bassi and son Felipinho
ML: What makes a successful F1 team, in your opinion? FM: The team depends on so many things. To be successful, the team has to be very organised, and have the money to invest – everything must be the best, the budget, the engineers, the designers, the engine, and the driver.
Teams from car manufacturers, like Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault. McLaren, Red Bull even, though they’re not a manufacturer, they all have the necessary resources.
I am now starting my fourth championship with Williams, which is like a medium team. Their budget is about a third of the big teams.
ML: After you fractured your skull in 2009, why did you decide to keep driving – why not just say, “Yup, I’m done”? FM: I decided to keep driving because that is what I love to do. I was quite lucky because the operations were successful. The doctors said I needed to be patient. The two to three weeks after the accident, the doctors were not sure about my vision. I had to wait maybe six months before I could drive again, but I know I was lucky. I could have become blind, I could have died. It was a close shave, but it wasn’t my time.
ML: Aside from the risk of injury, can you describe the physical impact of driving in a F1 race? FM: Driving has quite an impact on the body. It’s aggressive and, of course, there are G-forces. For example, you have about 3 Gs on the brakes and 5 Gs on the corners, that means 5 times the weight of your body, so you definitely have to train a lot – especially your neck, back, arms, shoulders and the heart – to be strong to resist the vibrations.
Even though the seat is designed specifically for each driver, the back takes a lot of impact. You need to be comfortable, but regardless it’s still very physical.
ML: You train with Christos Fiotakis. What do you do to stay fit? FM: We train on simulators for driving, so we need to do physical training. You don’t need to be strong, or big, because your weight is important, but you need to be very fit. I’ve been training with Christos for four or five years now, and I can see the results. I do cardio training everyday, I run a lot and do weight training, as well as balance work with a ball.
It’s actually amazing how much I have improved – I’m 36 years old and have never been so in shape.
ML: Do you remember your first time racing in Monaco fifteen years ago? How have you evolved as a driver? FM: My first race in Monaco was in 2002. I remember it well. Monaco is one of the most difficult tracks and you need to understand its limits. It’s very tight, sometimes you even have to touch the guard rail, like a little kiss.
The first year is the most difficult, but you are always learning and by the second or third year, you’re in pretty good shape in Monaco.
Over the last fifteen years, I’ve evolved enormously as a driver because technology has changed but actually driving the car still needs talent, and trainers can help you get fit and to increase your stamina.
ML: This is the 75th edition of the Monaco Grand Prix. To you, how has racing changed over FM: Monaco is for sure still one of the most important F1 races and one that all drivers want to win.
What I think has improved a lot since I started in F1 is the relationship between the drivers. At the beginning, drivers were not very close, but it’s better, and it’s because of social media. It’s always quite tricky though because when you are a driver, and you close the visor, you have no friends.
ML: What prompted your decision to retire at the end of 2016, now 2017 season? What are your plans post-F1? FM: I decided to retire because I couldn’t stay on with Williams, and I didn’t have the opportunity to have a professional team that I believe is the right fit for me to carry on with who I can be important.
But then Nico Rosberg decided to stop and Mercedes replaced him with Valterri Botta. Williams wanted to keep me on the team, so I agreed to stay racing for a team that has confidence in me and that respects me. And I’m doing a good job, performing well up to now, so I’m quite happy with my decision.
My teammate Lance Strong is a young guy, only 18. I’ve been giving him some advice. I told him that Monaco will be one of the most difficult races for him, and he’ll need to learn the track.
I don’t know what I will do when I stop F1 … Maybe I will continue racing in another category. We’ll see. I’ll have time to think about it when I really, really decide to stop.
ML: This year you were captain of the Nazionale Piloti F1 team that faced Prince Albert’s team in the 25th edition of the Monaco World Stars Football Match on May 24. Your son Felipinho played again with you this year. Will you encourage him to follow in your Formula One footsteps? FM: My son is 7 and was born in Brazil but goes to school in Monaco. He speaks four languages – amazing! He loves sport, football, go-kart. Everything competitive he loves. I push him to do sport, but it’s up to him, not me, as what he wants to do. For me though, sport is so important at that age as it teaches us so much.
ML: What do you like about living in Monaco? FM: There’s a huge Brazilian community in Monaco and I have a lot of friends here. It’s a great place to live and safe, especially for a family. Monaco is small but there’s so much to do. We go to the beach at Cap d’Ail or restaurants, like, Maya Bay and BeefBar. My son loves to go the Yacht Club. He has a happy life.
