The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| McLaren boss says must make quick start to 2012 Posted: 17 Nov 2011 03:27 PM PST  McLaren took months to make up the gap to its rivals from pre-season testing this year. — Reuters pic McLaren have won six of 18 Formula One races this year, including Lewis Hamilton's victory in Abu Dhabi last weekend, but looked way off the pace in pre-season testing and took months to be able to challenge Red Bull. Hamilton and Jenson Button have three wins each and will be fighting hard to come out on top in the final round in Brazil next week. "By the high standards of McLaren, this has not been a vintage year," Whitmarsh told reporters at the opening of McLaren's sportscar production centre. "We have secured second place in the constructors' championship but clearly we want to win more races than this. "We have got to get out of the blocks quickly, effectively, at the start of next year and make sure we are winning races. We've had a slow start to this year but we've got two great drivers and a fantastic team of men and women." McLaren Racing managing director Jonathan Neale said next year's car was well under way. "The carry over that we expect from the car that won on Sunday to the first test on the first of February will be around six per cent," he said. "We need to start next year quick. We've shown that we can out-develop and stay close to everybody, we've consistently won races, we are consistently on the podium but we don't win championships enough and that's a frustration." Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel won both titles this season for the second year in a row. McLaren's last drivers' title was with Hamilton in 2008 and they have not taken the constructors' crown since 1998. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| UK sports minister joins call for Blatter to quit Posted: 17 Nov 2011 03:23 PM PST  Blatter sought to play down his remarks by claiming he was misunderstood. — Reuters pic The 75-year-old Swiss has faced widespread criticism following his remarks on Wednesday when he said in two separate TV interviews there was no racism in football and that players involved in any racist confrontations on the pitch should settle their differences with a handshake at the end of the match. The comments from the head of world soccer's governing body have provoked a furore in England where the FA is dealing with two high-profile racism allegations. Blatter has responded to one of his critics — Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand — by becoming involved in a slanging match with the player on Twitter. Robertson, asked on BBC radio if Blatter should quit, said: "Yes, we've been saying this for some time. This is incredibly serious but it is part of a pattern of behaviour." Taylor said Blatter had now gone too far. "This goes beyond the line. To talk like he did shows he is totally out of tune, and out of time," he told Sky Sports News. "He should move aside for (UEFA president) Michel Platini. If one person should get it about racism it is the head of FIFA which has 200 countries in the world, which are so diverse and have different backgrounds, colours, cultures and creeds and if he is not getting it then he's got to move on." Asked if he should resign, he said: "I think without a shadow of a doubt." Blatter's comments were televised on the same afternoon as the English FA charged Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez of Liverpool with racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra last month. Suarez is pleading not guilty to the charge. The FA and police are also investigating allegations of racial abuse by England and Chelsea captain John Terry towards Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand last month. Terry denies the accusations. There has been a predictably vehement backlash in England towards Blatter with The Sun's front page headline "Blind as a Blatt" making the tabloid's feelings known while many pundits have called on him to quit. European newspapers were less forthright, with some major ones like Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport not mentioning the controversy at all on their website, but Switzerland's Blick talked of a "racism storm." Rio Ferdinand — Anton's brother — was one of many critics, saying on Twitter that he was "astonished" by Blatter's comments. "Sepp Blatter your comments on racism are so condescending it's almost laughable. If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that ok?" Ferdinand wrote. "I feel stupid for thinking that football was taking a leading role against racism — it seems it was just on mute for a while." Ferdinand also implied in another tweet that a picture on the FIFA website of Blatter with a "black man" was an attempt to limit the damage caused by the FIFA president's comments. Blatter then tweeted back: "@rioferdy5. The 'black man' as you call him has a name: Tokyo Sexwale. He has done tremendous work against racism and apartheid in Africa." Blatter gave interviews to broadcasters CNN and Al Jazeera. Asked if there was racism on the pitch he told CNN World Sport: "I would deny it. There is no racism, there is maybe one of the players towards another, he has a word or a gesture which is not the correct one. "But also the one who is affected by that, he should say that this is a game. We are in a game, and at the end of the game, we shake hands, and this can happen, because we have worked so hard against racism and discrimination." He also said on Al Jazeera: "During a match you may say something to someone who's not looking exactly like you, but at end of match it's forgotten." Blatter attempted to play down his remarks afterwards by issuing a statement where he pledged his commitment to stamping out racism. "My comments have been misunderstood. What I wanted to express is that, as football players, during a match, you have 'battles' with your opponents, and sometimes things are done which are wrong," he said. "But, normally, at the end of the match, you apologise to your opponent if you had a confrontation during the match, you shake hands, and when the game is over, it is over. "Having said that, I want to stress again that I do not want to diminish the dimension of the problem of racism in society and in sport. "I am committed to fighting this plague and kicking it out of football." Blatter, whose organisation has been beset by corruption allegations in the recent past, has made a series of gaffes over the years. He called on women players to wear skimpier kits and upset homosexuals by saying they should not engage in sexual relations at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The Swiss also said England were "bad losers" after they missed out on hosting the 2018 World Cup to Russia and has become a figure of hate among English media despite being adored in other parts of the world such as 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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