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ASEAN SG: 2030 World Cup bid is "herculean task"

Jakarta - ASEAN is exploring the possibility of entering the competition for one of its 10 member countries to host the FIFA World Cup, the world`s biggest football tournament, in 2030, according to the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat here Thursday.

"The 2030 World Cup Bid is a herculean task," said ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan as quoted on the ASEAN Secretariat`s official website.

Started out as an informal discussion by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers last July in Ha Noi, the proposal had recently garnered a higher level of interest, following last week`s ASEAN Foreign Ministers` Retreat in Lombok, during which the proposal became one of the highlights.

"I am very pleased with the unprecedented level of enthusiasm across the ASEAN region, particularly amongst our sport communities, about the decision to explore ASEAN`s bid to host the 2030 World Cup," said Dr Surin Pitsuwan.

"We are still at an early stage of consultations on strategic implications and a thorough procedural exploration," he continued, "but the advice and opinions that have been generated are most valued, and we expect the debate to continue and widen because we really learn a great deal from the public exchanges."

Malaysia has been tasked to prepare a proposal on the competition to be presented to the ASEAN Leaders at the 18th ASEAN Summit in May.

"The ASEAN Secretariat will work closely with Malaysia on this," said Dr Surin. "This will be a long and arduous campaign and we need to be comprehensive and strategic in our approach," he added.

"If ASEAN can work together on this ambitious undertaking, our international prestige and profile will certainly be enhanced, and the confidence in ASEAN will definitely be increased," said Dr Surin.

"The people will want to feel more ownership of ASEAN and to assume the ASEAN identity, and be willing to participate more in ASEAN Community building efforts."

Dr Surin added that ASEAN still has to work with existing mechanisms of FIFA. "The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and the other sports authorities, the media, the civil society and, not least, the private sector, within ASEAN will certainly play an important role in this Herculean task," he continued.

"We want to turn all sports lovers in Southeast Asia into ASEAN enthusiasts," he concluded.

The World Cup is organised by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). Individually, all 10 ASEAN Member States are listed as FIFA`s member associations. The Cup is staged every four years.(*)

Source: http://www.antaranews.com

Spies pleased with Yamaha progress

As a pair of Repsol Hondas led the way in Malaysia on Wednesday, Ben Spies was best of the rest as his Yamaha climbed to third on the final Sepang timesheets. The American now heads into Thursday, the last day of the test, in positive mood.

“Today went really well,” he smiled. “We started out and got right up to speed. We worked pretty much just on electronics and also evaluated a couple of different engine configurations, both of which worked really well.

“The lap times were pretty similar, so we need to work out in which direction we want to go. We got a lot accomplished today and tomorrow we've got a couple more things on the engine to look at and we're going to try some tyres for Bridgestone.”

Source: http://www.gpupdate.net

Hopkins rejoins Suzuki as reserve rider

John Hopkins will make his MotoGP comeback this year, as the American returns to Suzuki as a reserve rider after racing for the squad within the top echelon of motorcycle racing between 2003 and 2007. Despite not having a full-time ride, Hopkins will be on hand to replace Álvaro Bautista if an injury or unforeseen circumstance arises.

Hopkins competed in 114 races during his time in the sport, contesting five seasons for the Suzuki team. Despite not making the top step of the rostrum, the 27-year-old registered four podium finishes, all coming in the 2007 season. With Hopkins racing full-time in the upcoming British Superbike Championship, his new role is initially set to entail some on-track media work at the upcoming Qatar test.

"John won’t be doing the full test in Qatar, he will be doing some riding on the bike to help us out with some PR and filming work," Denning explained to MotoGP.com. "That will give him the opportunity to do some laps and get a feel for the bike, and he will be there at the test in case we need him. We’re not sure whether we’re going to need him during the test or not.

"With only one rider we’ve got to think carefully about a back-up plan, in case something goes wrong. We’re obviously very much hoping that we don’t have to call on it at any point, because we’re putting everything behind Álvaro and that’s the priority.

"But we have an obligation to Suzuki, to Rizla and to all the team’s partners to be at all the races so we do need to have a plan. John is available, he’s got experience and he’s fit and focused, and so he would seem to be the right man to do that job."

Denning added that Hopkins is unlikely to become Suzuki’s second rider in 2011 however, with no current plans for another bike to be prepared and raced by the outfit.

"There are no plans like that at the moment. Should something develop it could be considered, but at the moment it’s not in the plan," he summed up.

Source: http://www.gpupdate.net

Schumi: Merc GP 'slightly concerned'

Schumacher was in action at the Spanish circuit on Friday and Saturday, finishing first and third. However, on both days his best times were one-offs as the German struggled to find a consistent pace with his new W02.

In fact, on Friday when he finished at the front of the pack, Schumacher's average lap time put him outside the top half of the field.

"Yes, we are slightly concerned but then on the other hand we know where we will and want to go to," the 42-year-old told the BBC.

"The first race will tell us truly what is the situation."

Mercedes have already made it clear that their target is to win the F1 World titles, however, Schumacher reckons that's going to be a difficult task this season, especially at the start.

"For the team it is very important to climb the ladder and have more success than last year.

"We are Mercedes and we have a very clear target. It is going to be difficult to meet this target straight away this year particularly after last year's experience.

"But it is a programme and a vision for more than just the short term."

One aspect that will have an impact on Mercedes GP's season are the new Pirelli tyres, which Schumacher says Merc still need to get a handle on.

"We have a character of car that we built up," he said, "but we have a new character of tyres and how much they will be in harmony is difficult to say at this moment in time.

"It seemed less important last year and is more important this year."

Source: http://www.planetf1.com

Interwetten Honda team to take one year out from MotoGP

The Interwetten Honda MotoGP team have revealed they will quit top-flight racing after this weekend's season finale in Valencia.

They will concentrate on Moto2 and 125cc racing next season in the hope of returning to MotoGP in 2012.

Rider Hiroshi Aoyama is expected to join the San Carlo Gresini Honda team.

"It is a pity that the team cannot continue. I had a really good time and I want to thank the team for all they did for me," said the Japanese rider.

Aoyama, the last champion of the old 250cc class, joined the Interwetten MotoGP team full of hope for his debut in the elite category.

But his season was rocked by a serious back injury suffered at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in June, and his best result was a seventh-placed finish in Malaysia last month.

With one race of the 2010 season remaining, he lies 15th out of 21 riders in the world championship, with a total of 51 points.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk

Fiat Yamaha appoint new team director after Rossi exit

Yamaha World Superbike team boss Massimo Meregalli will become director of their MotoGP team next season.

This season the team had two managers because of the garage being divided between former champion Valentino Rossi and new champion Jorge Lorenzo.

Seven-time champion Rossi will leave to join Ducati at the end of the season, taking with him the man who ran his part of the garage, Davide Brivio.

The final race of the season takes place in Valencia this Sunday.

Meregalli will start his new job after Sunday's race, with the first testing session for 2011 taking place in Valencia on Tuesday.

He will work with team manager Wilco Zeelenberg.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk

Genii Capital and Group Lotus form Lotus Renault GP Team

Written by David

Genii Capital and Group Lotus plc today announced the creation of Lotus Renault GP Team, the successor to the Renault F1 Team that will contest the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship. This exciting announcement is made in the context of a strategic alliance between the two companies that will provide Group Lotus with significant technological and commercial opportunities for its range of road cars.

Following the return of the Lotus name to Formula 1 in 2010, under licence from Group Lotus, this historic announcement marks the complete return of the Lotus manufacturer to the sport, with the full backing of its parent company Proton. Group Lotus plc will become a major equity partner of Genii Capital in Lotus Renault GP, and the two parties have concluded a title sponsorship agreement that will run until the end of the 2017 season. With the continued support of Renault as a supplier of engines and technological and engineering expertise, Lotus Renault GP enjoys a strong, stable platform for future success.

“We are delighted that we can now go public with the news that we will be racing as Lotus Renault GP in 2011. It is extremely exciting to begin a new era for the team in partnership with Group Lotus, and we will continue to enjoy a strong relationship with Renault over the coming seasons. It is a tribute to the excellent work this year by the team in Enstone that we have been able to attract both major sponsorship and new investment for a very bright future,” said Gerard Lopez, Chairman of Renault F1 Team.

“I can think of no better platform for automotive brand communications than motorsport and F1 is the very pinnacle of open-wheel racing. We’re well aware that there has been a lot of controversy around the usage of our brand in F1 and I’m delighted to be able to formally clarify our position once and for all: we are Lotus and we are back,” added Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar.

The new partnership has been enabled by Renault selling its remaining shares in the team to Genii Capital. Group Lotus plc will subsequently become a major equity partner in Lotus Renault GP, which it will co-own with Genii Capital.

Renault will continue its strong support of the team with which it won the 2005 and 2006 world championships, as a supplier of engines and technological and engineering expertise. Reflecting this technological support, Lotus Renault GP will continue to compete with the Renault chassis name and Renault will enjoy pre-eminent brand exposure on the livery.

For 2011, the Lotus Renault GP cars will race in a new interpretation of the iconic black and gold colours that were last used when Lotus and Renault joined forces in the 1980s. This livery, which has been on the drawing board for over two months in order to reinterpret its iconic graphic signature to suit modern media requirements, is sure to strike a powerful chord with the sport’s enthusiasts around the world.

The team scored a strong fifth-place finish in the 2010 constructors’ championship, which included three podium finishes for Robert Kubica. Next season, Lotus Renault GP is aiming to take another step forward which will see it competing regularly with the most prestigious names in Formula 1.

Source: http://www.formula1news.net