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Day: 29 September 2026

Leclerc calls for Ferrari improvements after missing Baku podium

by: Cassandra Tanti
29/09/2026

Charles Leclerc finished fourth at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday after Ferrari failed to convert his front-row start into a podium, although the Monegasque helped the team strengthen its hold on second place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Leclerc started alongside pole-sitter George Russell but suffered wheelspin when the lights went out, allowing Oscar Piastri to move ahead. With both Ferraris struggling for grip during the opening stages, he subsequently lost positions to Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.

Ferrari’s pace improved after the opening 10 laps, but Leclerc was unable to rejoin the fight at the front. The team used the Safety Car period triggered by Alex Albon’s accident on lap 30 to bring Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in for Medium tyres during a double pit stop.

Piastri then ran wide at Turn 1 on lap 40, allowing Leclerc to recover fourth place. He held the position to the chequered flag, finishing behind race winner Russell, Verstappen and Hadjar.

“We maximised our result; today we simply lacked pace compared to our main competitors, who have been very strong all weekend,” Leclerc said. “There were some phases of the race in which the pace of those ahead fluctuated a bit more, and even though my lap times were consistent throughout, we couldn’t get into a real fight for the podium.”

Hamilton finished sixth after being passed by Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli during the closing stages. The two results delivered 20 points for Ferrari and extended its advantage over McLaren in the battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged that the result fell short of expectations after Leclerc qualified second.

“Our single-lap pace was good, but today we were missing a couple of tenths per lap compared to our competitors, which was too much,” he said. “There are certainly things we could have done better this weekend, and we need to understand them and improve.”

Leclerc has since called on Ferrari to accelerate its planned upgrades after conceding that the team was “quite far off” the leading pace in Baku.

Ferrari will now prepare for the next round at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit from 2nd to 4th October. The event will officially retain the Bahrain Grand Prix name after the original race was relocated from the Gulf to Malaysia.

“As we saw this weekend, things can swing pretty quickly, so we all have to stay on top of that,” Leclerc said. “I look forward to being back in the car in Sepang.”

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Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre

Moghadam, Monaco’s Honorary Consul for Nepal, launches relief appeal following devastating floods

by: Virginia D’Umas
29/09/2026

Alexander Moghadam, Monaco’s 90-year-old Honorary Consul for Nepal and a well-known local business owner, has started an urgent online fundraiser to help victims of a massive flood that hit northern Nepal on 26th August.

For more than half a century, Alexander Moghadam has been a familiar figure in the Principality. Over 50 years ago, he opened his Persian carpet gallery on the Boulevard des Moulins – it was inaugurated by Princess Grace. While building the business, he quietly established a reputation for local philanthropy through charity auctions backed by his own collection.

Those commercial ties to Nepalese carpet makers eventually led to his appointment as Monaco’s Honorary Consul to Nepal more than 15 years ago. Over the years, he has combined frequent diplomatic visits with active fundraising. Following the devastating earthquake of 2015, his efforts helped finance essential community facilities. As he once recalled in his office, pointing to a modest rug bought cheaply in an Eastern market: “It was sold and resold at auction multiple times, with the proceeds multiplying each time. Thanks to that, we were able to build facilities for the Nepalese people after the 2015 earthquake – all from a tiny rug.”

Through a combination of public donations and personal contributions, his efforts over the last 15 years have funded the construction of a school and housing for more than 600 people.

Photo Credit: Le Boudoir D’Highlights

Responding to a fresh catastrophe

Now, Moghadam is moving to support the region after the 26th August disaster, during which a severe flash flood and debris flow tore through northern Nepal. Originating from the Bhote Koshi river network roughly 80 kilometres from Kathmandu, the flood devastated districts including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and Gorkha. The sheer force and speed of the water swept away homes, bridges, roads, and vital hydroelectric installations in the narrow mountain valleys, leaving families virtually no time to evacuate.

According to the Nepalese government, international sources, and Reuters reports, the humanitarian toll is immense. More than 1,400 bodies have been recovered, over 6,000 people remain missing, and more than 13,000 have been rescued, while thousands of others are displaced without homes or livelihoods. Preliminary assessments by the Nepalese government place direct physical damage at roughly $1.8 billion US dollars, with total recovery needs projected at $4.78 billion US dollars.

How to support the campaign

Alexander Moghadam has now launched a digital solidarity network to channel immediate help to those on the ground.

He is urging residents and businesses in Monaco to contribute to a dedicated fundraising page titled ‘We Stand With Nepal’, hosted on Leetchi. All money raised goes directly to the Nepal Red Cross to supply emergency food, clean water, shelter, and medical support to families affected by the disaster.

Contributions of any size can be made online via the Leetchi Campaign Link, and organisers are encouraging supporters to share the link and QR code across personal and professional networks to amplify the relief effort.

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Alexander Moghadam visiting Nepal. Photo Credit: Le Boudoir D’Highlights