CNN travel | These are the world’s most expensive cities in 2021

(CNN) — All over the world, it’s been a tough year on wallets.

Supply-chain blockages and changing consumer demand have pushed up the cost of living in many of our biggest cities, according to new research published Wednesday, and inflation is the fastest recorded over the past five years.

One city has been experiencing more rapid change than most, jumping from fifth place to first in this year’s Worldwide Cost of Living index released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The Israeli city of Tel Aviv topped the rankings for the first time, overtaking last year’s leader Paris, which is now tied in second place with Singapore.  —read more— 

CNN BUSINESS | Bugatti is the jewel in Volkswagen’s crown. This 33-year-old is taking it over

New York (CNN Business) – Bugatti, the French manufacturer of $3 million supercars, is over a century old. But now it faces what may be the most difficult maneuver it has ever had to carry out: transitioning to an electric future.

The man now taking the wheel at Bugatti is Mate Rimac, a 33-year-old Bosnian-born engineering prodigy — and one who harbors no illusions about the challenges facing his industry.

Famous today for some of the world’s biggest and powerful gasoline engines ever put into a road car, Bugatti had been reborn in 2003 as the jewel in the crown of the Volkswagen Group. Besides VW, the global automaker’s other brands include Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley.  —read more— 

F1 | Sir Frank Williams, 1942-2021 – F1’s champion-maker remembered

For a split second it seemed that there was barely a sound. Then, above the scrape of chairs and the rustle of clothing as 300 people rose as one, spontaneous applause erupted unbidden.

It was July 11 1986, in the press room for the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch. Not a particularly salubrious place, but in that moment it hosted something very special. Just four months after the car crash on the way back from testing at Paul Ricard which had left Frank paralysed, there he was, being wheeled into the room to a heartfelt ovation. There were lumps in throats and damp eyes as everyone lauded his courageous return.  —read more—

F1 | INSIDE STORY: Mercedes’ Strategic Masterclass | 2021 Spanish Grand Prix

watch: INSIDE STORY: Mercedes’ Strategic Masterclass | 2021 Spanish Grand Prix

CNN BUSINESS | Samsung will create 2,000 jobs in Texas with $17 billion chip factory

Seoul (CNN Business) – Samsung is planning to build a $17 billion semiconductor manufacturing facility in Texas as part of efforts to tackle a global shortage of chips.

Announcing its largest ever investment in the United States, the South Korean electronics giant said Tuesday that the factory would create 2,000 high-tech jobs directly, and thousands more in the local economy once it is in full operation. The facility is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2024.  —read more— 

F1 | What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the first ever Qatar Grand Prix at Losail?

The first ever Qatar Grand Prix takes place this weekend at Losail International Circuit, and Pirelli have announced their tyre nominations for Round 20 of the 2021 World Championship.

Qatar ends a triple-header that began with a dominant Max Verstappen display in Mexico and continued with a terrific Lewis Hamilton comeback in Brazil. For this 57-lap race, Pirelli have nominated the three hardest compounds in their range.

That means the C1 (hard, x2 sets), C2 (medium, x3 sets) and C3 (soft, x8 sets) tyres will be in use for the fifth and, according to Pirelli, last time this year. The tyre suppliers add that Losail may be a “high-severity circuit… similar to Silverstone or Mugello” with sand from the desert affecting grip.  —read more— 

F1 | Hamilton takes victory in Brazil after stunning drive from P10 and pass on Verstappen

Lewis Hamilton won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after a sensational battle with his rival Max Verstappen in an absolutely enthralling return to Brazil for F1. Verstappen finished runner-up ahead of pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas.

Hamilton enjoyed a terrific start from P10 on the grid and was clearly on the charge, team mate Bottas – who lost the lead to Verstappen at the start – letting him for P5 by on Lap 5. Hamilton then took P2 off Perez in a duel that began on Lap 17 and culminated in a Lap 19 pass at Turn 4. The first stops took place around Lap 25 but the action built up to a terrific crescendo after Verstappen took a second stop on Lap 41, Hamilton on Lap 44.  —read more—

watch: Race Highlights | 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix

F1 | Bottas wins F1 Sprint to claim pole for Sao Paulo GP as Hamilton fights back from last to P5

Valtteri Bottas won the Sprint in Brazil to take pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, as Lewis Hamilton recovered from last place to fifth with a scintillating drive.

Bottas, starting on soft tyres from P2, began with a huge launch off the line to pry the lead off medium-shod Verstappen, who went wide in the opening lap but rescued P2 by re-passing Sainz soon afterwards. As those soft tyres began to drop off, Verstappen closed in on Bottas but ended up 1.1s off the Finn for P2 at the flag. Sainz, meanwhile, held off Sergio Perez for the final point by a second.  —read more— 

F1 | QUALIFYING: Hamilton beats Verstappen to seal top grid slot for F1 Sprint in Brazil

Lewis Hamilton dominated qualifying to secure P1 on the grid for the Saturday Sprint at Sao Paulo ahead of Red Bull rival Max Verstappen and Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas.

This being a Sprint weekend, qualifying took place on Friday afternoon to set the grid for tomorrow’s 100km dash – which will then set the grid for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Having led Q1 – Verstappen 0.6s off in P6 – Hamilton then topped Q2 to leave the Dutchman third and 0.4s off. In Q3, the Mercedes driver squeezed everything out of his new engine to set the fastest time of 1m07.934s and leave his rival second by 0.438s and Bottas third, another tenth off. With Hamilton’s new engine, however, comes a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Grand Prix.  —read more—  

watch: Qualifying Highlights | 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix

F1 | What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the 2021 Sao Paulo Grand Prix and Sprint?

The third and final Sprint of 2021 beckons this weekend as does the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, with Interlagos returning to the calendar for the first time since 2019. Here are the tyre allocations for this weekend’s event.

Pirelli have nominated the hard C2s (x2), medium C3s (x4) and soft C4s (x6). That is the same nomination as it was in Mexico and the United States, but teams have one fewer set of tyres owing to the Sprint. However, these tyres are one step softer than they were in 2019 when Interlagos last held the Brazilian GP.

In case of wet weather, teams have up to six sets of intermediates and three sets of full wet tyres this weekend.  —read more—