D Tuesday, September 22, 2009 METROSPORT 21 European Tour cut Dubai prize pools GOLF: The European Tours Race to Dubai bonus pool and Dubai World Championship prize fund have both been cut by 25 per cent due to the global meltdown, the tour announced yesterday, a reduction of $7.5million (5.1m) each. European Tour chief executive George OGrady revealed the expected drop in prize money following a three- day visit to Dubai for talks with sponsors Nakheel Leisure. The European Tour has offered to reduce the prize money to reflect the current worldwide economic position, OGrady said. We will jointly examine prize money levels in future years in the light of this developing global situation. SPORTDigest Hatton keeping options open on return to ring BOXING: Ricky Hatton insists he will only consider a return to the ring when he is feeling fully motivated. The 30-year-old former two-weight world champion has been considering his future since suffering a knockout to Manny Pacquiao in May 18 months after Floyd Mayweather Jr handed the Mancunian his only other defeat. The Hitman (pictured) believes the urge to fight will eventually return and admits a comeback may be inevitable. Im sure Ill probably give it another go, Hatton said. But at the minute Im just going to sit back and what will be will be. Theres no doubt I can come back from it but Ive just got to wait for that fire in my belly to come back. New knock ends Nadal title hopes TENNIS: World No.2 Rafael Nadal has pulled out of next weeks Thailand Open because of an abdominal injury. The Spaniard was expected to travel to Thailand this week ahead of the tournament in Bangkok. But he will now stay in Spain to receive treatment for an acute rupture of an abdominal muscle. Nadal (pictured) admitted the injury contributed to his US Open semi- final defeat by Argentine Juan Martin del Potro. He is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks. Wallaby clash on RUGBY: Grand Slam champions Ireland will tackle Australia in Brisbane on June 26 as part of their 2010 summer tour, the Australian Rugby Union revealed yesterday. It will be the last of four games for the Wallabies, following on from a clash with Fiji and a two-test series with England, including one at Sydneys Olympic Stadium, site of Englands 2003 World Cup win. Mosley: Latest scandal will not hold us back FIA president Max Mosley believes Formula One can look to the future with optimism, after passing sentence on the crashgate scandal yesterday. The World Motor Sport Council banned former Renault chief Flavio Briatore from the sport for life for his part in fixing last years Singapore Grand Prix. His deputy Pat Symonds was handed a five-year ban while their former team Renault appeared to be spared relatively lightly avoiding a fine or points penalty but with the threat of expulsion from the sport hanging over them for two years should they be found to be in serious breach of the rules again. And Mosley, who confirmed Ren- ault have agreed to stay in the sport, defended that stance. The penalty is disqualification, but suspended for two years, which means if they dont do something silly in the next two years they dont have any problems, he said. Because Renault demonstrated they had absolutely no moral respon- sibility for what took place thats to say Renault F1 the team didnt know, still less of course the company it would be wrong in the circumstances to impose an immediate penalty. Despite the latest stain on the sport Mosley is convinced F1 has a future. We have problems from time to time and, as long as we solve them and deal with them properly, thats fine, he added. F1 will recover from this. Weve cut out the bad part and things will go on exactly as they should. I think weve demonstrated that weve dealt with it. Renault apologised unreservedly to the FIA and to the sport for the harm caused by its actions and will pay the FIAs costs for the probe, as well as make a significant contribution by way of expertise to FIA safety-related projects. Renault F1 president Bernard Rey said: We fully support the decision by the Council. We apologise for such failure in front of the F1 community and hope we can put this behind us. September 28, 2008 Renaults Nelson Piquet Jr crashes on lap 13/14 of the Singapore Grand Prix, allowing team-mate Fernando Alonso to move into the lead behind the safety car having just refuelled. Alonso goes on to win the race. August 3, 2009 After scoring no points from ten starts, Piquet is sacked by Renault. August 30 Formula Ones governing body the FIA opens an investigation. September 4 The FIA says Renault will face charges of race fixing. September 11 Renault start criminal proceedings against Piquet and his father, a triple F1 world champion, for alleging the team rigged the Singapore race. Piquet Jr is offered immunity from prosecution if he tells the truth. September 16 Renault says it will not contest the race-fixing charges. Boss Flavio Briatore and top engineer Pat Symonds leave the team. September 21 Renault receive a two-year suspended ban from F1 until the end of the 2011 season at an FIA World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris. Briatore is banned from any further involvement in the sport and Symonds gets a five-year ban. Double world champion Alonso is cleared of any involvement. CRASHGATE TIMELINE Piquet Jr Clean-up: Piquet Jrs wrecked Renaultis removed from the Singapore track Piquet Jr: Briatore made my life a nightmare NELSON PIQUET JR feels the true character of Flavio Briatore has come to light following the FIAs investigation into the crash that has stained Formula One. Piquet Jr has expressed remorse for his role in the affair and is glad events are out in the open. I bitterly regret my actions to follow the orders I was given. I wish every day I had not done it, the 24-year-old Brazilian said. All I can tell you is that my situation at Renault turned into a nightmare. Having dreamed of being a Formula One driver and having worked so hard to get there, I found myself at the mercy of Mr Briatore. His true character, which had previously only been known to those he had treated like this in the past, is now known. He had my future in his hands, but he cared nothing for it. By the time of the Singapore GP hed isolated me and driven me to the lowest point I had ever reached in my life. Now that I am out of that situation I cannot believe that I agreed to the plan, but I felt I was in no position to refuse. Listening now to Mr Briatores reaction to my crash and hearing the comments he has made to the press over the last two weeks it is clear to me I was simply being used by him then to be discarded and left to ridicule. Piquet Jr hopes to be given another chance in F1. I realise I have to start my career from zero, he said. I do not expect this to be forgiven or forgotten. I can only hope a team will recognise how badly I was stifled at Renault and give me an opportunity to show what I promised in my career in F3 and GP2. THE FIA have released a 19-race calendar for the 2010 season, with the projected return of Canada and a first ever race in South Korea the headline changes to the schedule. The season starts in Bahrain in March and ends in November in Brazil. BY ADAM HAY-NICHOLLS FORMULA ONE CRASHGATE SCANDAL Defiant: Mosley faces the press in Paris yesterday after the hearing Picture: Getty index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html