Long lasting annual flowers

Listen to this article The introduction of new regulations by both the WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship have brought an unprecedented number of manufacturers to the top echelon of sportscar racing, with the likes of Porsche, Toyota, Peugeot, Ferrari, BMW, Cadillac, Acura, Lamborghini, Alpine and Glickenhaus all having confirmed factory programmes for the coming seasons. This has brought back much needed life to prototype competition, particularly in the WEC, after several lean years plagued by limited manufacturer rivalry and diminishing grids. The WEC last enjoyed such a strong period in the mid-2010s when LMP1 formed the top class but, while the high-performance thoroughbreds from the likes of Porsche, Toyota and Audi drew comparisons to Formula 1, the rapid withdrawal of manufacturers left the category in the doldrums. However, many believe that the championship organisers have since learned lessons from LMP1 and the new LMDh and LMH regulations will … [Read more...] about WEC drivers hope new sportscar era will last longer than LMP1

(Spoilers for episode 3 of HBO's "The Last of Us," as well as both video games and the "Left Behind" DLC.) --- Much of the focus on HBO's interpretation of "The Last of Us" has been on its fidelity to the games - how faithfully it re-creates the original's story and scenes, and what it chooses to change. While episode 2 gave us a very different death for Tess, episode 3 is an even bigger departure, telling a whole new story about side character Bill and his partner Frank. Through this change, the episode tells a new, more hopeful story about the zombie apocalypse. At the same time, it tells a complex but also stereotypical story about the lives and deaths available to the queer people in its world. In the video game of "The Last of Us," Joel and Ellie meet Bill, a lone survivor who is distrustful and unpleasant. He makes reference to a "partner" and seems to suggest he kicked that person out, finding it better to be on his own. After fighting through infected in search of a … [Read more...] about ‘The Last of Us’ tells a new but familiar queer love story

Senior Formula 1 figures including CEO Stefano Domenicali have given an update on plans for new Las Vegas Grand Prix including estimates of the income it is expected to generate. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Domenicali was joined by the event’s CEO Renee Wilm, who is also chief legal officer for F1’s commercial rights holder Liberty Media, at Preview Las Vegas, an annual economic forecasting event for the area. The series used the event to promote its third race in the United States on the 2023 F1 calendar . Simulators and a full-size 2022 F1 car model were set up at the venue. In a joint appearance, the CEOs detailed the projected economic impact for the local area of November’s grand prix. They projected that F1 operations and support alone would have an economic impact of $316 million (£257m) for Las Vegas, with $102m (£83m being spent by them on wages and with a recruiting target of 2,054 people. selling premium attendance packages for as much … [Read more...] about “A lot of things will be ready last-minute” for first Las Vegas race – Domenicali · RaceFans

The third episode of HBO's "The Last of Us" might be one of the show's finest hours. Most of it largely ignores protagonists Joel and Ellie to focus on the tale of Bill and Frank, minor characters in the game whose story here is transformed in unexpected, kinder ways. In the game, Frank and Bill are two older gay men whose story ended with bitter suicide, leaving a lonely Bill to stew in his resentment and regret. Episode 3 begins with Joel and Ellie in the wake of Tess's sacrifice to save them both. We start 10 miles west of Boston, and we can sense Joel's acrimony toward Ellie. Bella Ramsey's Ellie, in a strong display of emotional intelligence, senses this and preemptively lectures Joel: "You made a choice, so don't blame me for something that isn't my fault." Joel, with Pedro Pascal's sunken face, nods back knowingly. You almost get that Joel respects Ellie for her read on him, and her reasoning. This is shown immediately as the pair walk along and Joel lets down his guard a … [Read more...] about ‘The Last of Us’ recap: A kinder, more loving tale for Bill and Frank

Despite the announcement of their partnership with Andretti, Cadillac believes there is a “long way to go” before they get onto the F1 grid. Andretti strengthened their F1 bid by announcing a new partnership with the sixth-largest car manufacturer in the world, General Motors. With GM behind them and the team rebranded as the Andretti-Cadillac team, the Andretti bid may have finally fulfilled the vague ‘value’ requirement that F1 and the teams have been asking for. Their place on the grid is by no means assured though with the team in the process of submitting their Expression of Interest to the FIA, but should that be approved, they will also have to convince F1. Cadillac global vice president Rory Harvey said that they believe they have fulfilled the requirements to get on the grid but are not getting ahead of themselves, conceding that “there is a long way to go yet.” “We think that in terms of the partnership between Andretti and General Motors and Cadillac that we have … [Read more...] about Cadillac clear there is still ‘long way to go’ in Andretti Formula 1 bid

Mick Schumacher would have been a “better choice” for Haas than Nico Hulkenberg for the 2023 Formula 1 season from a long-term perspective. That is the opinion of former F1 driver Marc Surer, who remains hopeful that the son of seven-time World Champion Michael will go on to enjoy a successful grand prix career. Schumacher will act as Mercedes’ reserve driver this season after being dropped by Haas at the end of a 2022 campaign in which he recorded just two points finishes, with former Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg – who last raced in F1 on a full-time basis in 2019 – named as his replacement. Surer, who made 82 F1 starts between 1979 and 1986, has been left puzzled by Haas’s decision to drop Schumacher after two years, suggesting the German’s flashes of potential in 2022 hinted at a significant breakthrough in his third full season in 2023. Appearing on Formel.de’s YouTube channel , he said: “With Mick you have someone who has now been paid practically two years of … [Read more...] about Mick Schumacher ‘was certainly the better’ long-term choice for Haas

Having previously confirmed he had spoken with rival teams before re-signing with McLaren, Lando Norris says he’ll do it again when his current contract expires in 2025. Norris arrived on the Formula 1 grid in 2019, the Briton signing with McLaren but not before speaking with Red Bull Racing. That, though, wasn’t the last time he held informal talks with Christian Horner, doing so again before putting pen to paper on a new deal in early 2022. His latest contract runs through to 2025, Norris signing it before even seeing the new cars in action which raised a few eyebrows . “It was surprising that he signed such a long contract at the start of his career,” former F1 driver turned pundit Jenson Button Sky Sports F1. “We all want to be team players but you never know where the team is going to be in three years.” Norris has defended his decision, saying he wanted to avoid the need to have conversations with rival teams as all the drivers do before signing a contract. … [Read more...] about Lando Norris explains why he agreed a long-term contract with McLaren

Alpine unveiled the A110 sports car in 2017 as its first model after becoming a standalone brand within the Renault family. Six years is usually around the age when many automakers prefer to change the generations of their models but apparently, this is not going to be the case with the A110. The French automaker wants to keep it alive with almost no changes as long as possible and maximize the model’s lifespan. According to a new report from Automotive News , Alpine intends to have the current A110 on sale until the end of 2026 when a fully-electric successor is expected to be launched. By that time, the sports car will be almost ten years old. The demand, however, is currently growing, which is a positive sign that Alpine’s strategy could work. Gallery: 2023 Alpine A110 R 31 Photos "We are in year five of the project, normally you see a decline, but we are … [Read more...] about Alpine Intends To Sell The A110 For As Long As Possible

A fortified town in Massachusetts is surrounded with traps, mines and a yards-long electric fence. Behind all these defenses lives a 40-something man named Bill. He's been ready for an apocalypse long before anyone else, filling bunkers with food and armories with powerful weapons. But even as one of the most prepared for the world's end, there's one thing he didn't account for: falling in love. In "Long, Long Time," the latest episode of HBO's "The Last of Us," we enter Bill's never-before-seen romantic life. Fans of the game may notice some big deviations from the source material, as characters are given reimagined lives. In the game, we meet Bill only briefly, as protagonists Joel and Ellie pass through his town in hopes of scrounging together a working vehicle for their journey across a post-apocalyptic America. We discover Bill wasn't always solo - his romantic partner, Frank, died by suicide after becoming infected. The game doesn't linger on these details long, with only … [Read more...] about Why HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ rewrote the love story of Bill and Frank