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Day: 24 July 2022

Leclerc rues “unacceptable” spin

by: Luke Entwistle
24/07/2022

Charles Leclerc’s title challenge was dealt a huge blow in the French GP on Sunday as the Monegasque crashed whilst leading, gifting Max Verstappen the victory.

Leclerc has previously admitted that he and his team have little margin for error for the remainder of the season. How much will the latest error cost him?

Following his win in Austria a fortnight ago, Leclerc came into the French GP with wind under his sails and with the machinery to pull off consecutive victories.

Having secured pole position on Saturday, Leclerc held the lead off the line at lights out. He also responded well to the pressure exerted by championship rival Verstappen during the opening stint.

As Veratappen’s tyres went off, it seemed as though Leclerc had weathered the storm on a blisteringly hot day near Marseille. However, needing to build a gap to cover off Verstappen’s early pitstop, Leclerc pushed.

He pushed too hard. His tyres heavily blistered, the rear end of Leclerc’s Ferrari stepped out at a high speed corner, sending him into a spin and towards the barriers. From there, he tried to hit the reverse gear, but to no avail. Another pole position would go unconverted.

With Leclerc out, Verstappen inherited the lead of the race and no one ever looked like taking it off him. Lewis Hamilton, in his 300th F1 race, was unchallenged as he took second place, over 10 seconds behind Verstappen.

“Mr. Consistent” George Russell caught Sergio Perez napping after a late safety car to take the final podium place and give Mercedes their first double podium finish of the season.

Driver of the day Carlos Sainz took fifth, but he was left ruing a late Ferrari strategic call, which potentially cost him a fourth place finish.

The day, however, belonged to Verstappen, who nonetheless seemed regretful of the battle that never was between himself and his Monegasque rival.

After trudging back to the paddock, Leclerc was under no disillusions as to the gravity of his latest mistake. “I am performing at the highest level of my career, but if I keep making mistakes it’s pointless. If we lose the championship by 32 points I will know where they are coming from, but it is unacceptable,” he said.

It is too soon to say whether that is curtains on Leclerc’s championship challenge, but as the margin for error narrows further, the pressure on Leclerc to close an increasingly large gap (63 points) increases.

 

 

Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

 

 

 

Nice airport trials next generation trolleys

by: Cassandra Tanti
24/07/2022

Passengers at Nice Côte d’Azur airport now have access to smart luggage trolleys, designed to guide them through the airport and to their gate, picking up some deals along the way.

The latest generation trolleys are being trialled at Terminal 2, much to the delight of passengers.

Once a boarding pass is scanned, the interactive screen on the trolley guides passengers to their gate and highlights the products and services that are available along the way.

The trial comes after the airport joined the international ‘Airports for Innovation’ initiative in Rome recently, which aims at designing solutions, as well as proposing and testing effective technologies covering the whole passenger experience in a post pandemic context.

“Airports represent key economic drivers and play a crucial role in restoring global connectivity and travellers’ confidence. As the pandemic has dramatically changed passengers’ behaviours and expectations, the rise of seamless technological solutions and the digital transformation have accelerated, and the focus on sustainability has become even more central,” said the airport in a statement.

 

Photo source: Nice Côte d’Azur airport

 

 

 

Monkeypox reaches Monaco, government orders vaccines

by: Stephanie Horsman
24/07/2022

Monaco recorded its first case of monkeypox just days before the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

Monkeypox, the latest health scare in a world still traumatised by Covid, has finally made its way to the Principality.

Dr. Olivia Keïta-Perse, head of epidemiology at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, Thursday night revealed on government channel Monaco Info that there has been one confirmed case and three others who are believed to be infected.

On Saturday 23rd July, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared monkeypox to be a global health emergency, the strongest call to action the agency can make. It is the seventh time such a declaration has been made since 2009, the most recent being Covid-19.

A public health emergency of international concern – or PHEIC – is defined as “an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response”.

There have so far been 16,016 monkeypox cases globally, 4,132 of which were in the past week, according to WHO data. It is now in 75 countries and territories and there have been five deaths.

The European region has the highest number of total cases at 11,865, and the highest increase in the last seven days, with 2,705.

So, what is monkeypox exactly?

Monkeypox is a virus similar to smallpox that can be passed from person to person through close physical contact, including hand holding, kissing and via sexual intercourse. Additionally, it can be spread by using towels, bedding or clothing used by an infected person. Similar to Covid, it can also be spread if an infected person sneezes or coughs near others.

Monkeypox usually takes between five and 21 days to fully manifest itself with the first symptoms including high temperature, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen glands, chills and fatigue. A rash typically appears one to five days after the first symptoms, generally starting on the face before spreading to other parts of the body, notably the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

Often confused with chickenpox, the disease starts as raised spots that turn into fluid-filled blisters which then scab over and fall off. The disease usually clears up in a few weeks, but when a person has symptoms, they are contagious.

Now that it’s clear what it is and how it behaves, it may be comforting to note that, according to Britain’s National Health Service, the disease is usually mild, with most people recovering within a few weeks without needing treatment. There certainly can be complications, like pneumonia or encephalitis, but none of the people infected in Monaco or France have been on that list.

The higher risk groups that should be monitored are the elderly, young children and people who are immuno-compromised.

The good news is that a vaccine is available that the World Health Organisation says is about 85% effective in preventing the disease. The bad news is that it is not currently widely available.

France’s Health Minister, François Braun, announced earlier this month that France is offering a vaccine to a small number of high-risk individuals, “to limit the risk of contamination for people at risk of exposure” as cases increase and whilst “the disease is progressing favourably.”  These groups include gay men, people with multiple partners, and sex workers.

The Monaco government has asked for doses of the vaccine, but as of now, there are none available at Princess Grace Hospital, though they expect this to change soon.

 

 

Note: this story was updated with the latest information on Sunday 24th July after being originally published on 22nd July. Photo source: Shutterstock