Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/780138
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2017 23 Sport Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Wednesday WEATHER: Partly cloudy with increasing high clouds VISIBILITY: Good WIND: South Southwest force 3 to 4 backing Southerly force 4 to 5 SEA: Slight becoming slight to moderate SWELL: Low Easterly becoming low West Southwest A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 White to play and mate in four moves A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Last week's solution Sudoku rules are extremely easy: Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 9x9 box. PARTLY CLOUDY 17 º C / 10 º C UV INDEX: 2 Today's Weather Chess Sudoku Pursuits Across 1. Wept 3. Not hollow 6. Egyptian river 7. Violin 9. Beyond what is usual 10. All time 11. Long-tailed rodent 13. Floating ice 15. Indian tent 18. Marked with rings 19. Timber 20. Eyeglasses 21. Line of people Down 1. Ember 2. Very small island 3. Short dagger 4. Flat shelf 5. Animal 8. Heedless 12. Interfere 14. Sudden forward thrust 16. Examine thoroughly 17. Weapons cxd5 a4 Bb4# FORMULA 1 RENAULT driver Nico Hül- kenberg believes Formula 1's 2017 cars will feel " brutally fast", courtesy of revised technical regulations, after spending time in the simula- tor during the off-season. Formula 1 will enter a new era of technical regulations for 2017, with cars set to be four to five seconds per lap faster than 2016, as a result of revised aerodynamics and much wider Pirelli tyres. Hülkenberg, who has made the move to Renault after a lengthy spell with Force In- dia, reckons the new regula- tions will make a substantial difference in the sport. "The new cars feel brutally fast," Hülkenberg told Auto Motor und Sport, referring to his experience in the simula- tor. "[At Barcelona] Turns 3 and 9 are absolutely f lat. That's what [only] Red Bull or Mer- cedes did in the past." Hülkenberg also reckons the new regulations will have dif- ferent inf luences on the racing, depending on the venue. "The DRS effect is signifi- cantly more pronounced than in the 2016 cars," he comment- ed. "In Monaco, you will not be able to overtake. You [will] just drive in the middle of the road with the wide cars, and that's it." Hülkenberg also added his voice to those who are sure this year's cars will be more physi- cally demanding on drivers. "I started training already be- fore Christmas, and it resumed right after New Year," he said. "[I've been doing] two hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, with special training for the neck. "I can promise everyone that it will be really hard in the car again." Pre-season testing begins at the Circuit de Barcelona-Cat- alunya on February 27. Hülkenberg: New F1 cars 'brutally fast'