Sports
Former Driver Massa Says He’s Suing F1 And The FIA For The Incident That He Thinks Cost Him The 2008 Title.
SAO PAULO — Former driver Felipe Massa has filed a lawsuit in London against the FIA, Formula One Management, and Bernie Ecclestone to reclaim the 2008 title.
According to a document The Associated Press obtained on Monday, Massa added that he was seeking at least $82 million in damages. That figure included the prize money he forfeited and any potential deals he may have gotten as an F1 winner.
Massa has claimed he was the “rightful” 2008 champion since last year, citing the “Crashgate” incident. The 42-year-old Brazilian, who has never won the driver’s championship, finished second to Lewis Hamilton by one point.
Former Driver Massa Says He’s Suing F1 And The FIA For The Incident That He Thinks Cost Him The 2008 Title.
Massa, a former Ferrari and Williams driver, stated that his case would be heard at the King’s Bench Division of the High Court.
His decision followed months of preparation, including his attorneys requesting the motor racing body respond to his public contract violation charges.
“I always said I was going to fight until the end,” Massa said. “Because the FIA and FOM chose not to take action, we will attempt to correct this historical injustice in court. The situation has now been turned over to our lawyers, who are fully authorized to do everything it takes to ensure that justice is delivered in sports.”
His charges stem from the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, in which Nelson Piquet Jr. purposely crashed to assist then-Renault teammate Fernando Alonso in winning the race.
The Renault team was subsequently fined, although the results remained in the 15th of 18 races that season. Massa never got close to the title.
In an interview with F1 Insider last year, former F1 boss Ecclestone revealed that he discovered that Piquet Jr. crashed on purpose in 2008. He also stated that he elected to examine the occurrence once the season had been completed; at this point, it was too late to modify the standings.
Piquet Jr. crashed while Massa was in the lead in Singapore. A safety car was deployed, erasing his lead and giving Alonso a clear advantage because he was the only driver who had already made a pit stop to refuel. Massa dropped out of the points in 13th place following a disastrous pit stop, while Hamilton finished third in that race.
According to Massa’s filing, he seeks “a declaration that the FIA acted in breach of its regulations in failing to investigate the circumstances of the crash promptly in 2008” and “a declaration that if the FIA had not acted in breach of its regulations, it would have cancelled or adjusted the results of the Singapore Grand Prix, with the consequence that Mr Massa would have won the drivers’ championship in 2008.
The paper stated, “The defendants’ actions caused significant financial loss to the claimant.” The next year, news of Piquet Jr.’s race-fixing scandal broke.
The driver’s complaint also stated that the FIA’s refusal to swiftly examine Crashgate “constituted a most serious form of wrongdoing.”
Former Driver Massa Says He’s Suing F1 And The FIA For The Incident That He Thinks Cost Him The 2008 Title.
Ecclestone told the British Press Association that the case should be taken to court.
“If he had asked me, I would have said it was the complete right thing to do, to sue, and to let an English judge decide what is right and wrong,” Ecclestone remarked at the time. “I cannot comment on the outcome or what will happen. From his perspective, it is preferable that an English judge render a verdict. It will be of more benefit to him.”
In an August interview with the AP, Massa stated that he had additional evidence of wrongdoing to support his claims. He further stated that he was considering launching more lawsuits connected to the same occurrence in other nations.
Massa was received with quiet in the paddock at the previous Brazilian Grand Prix as his case against the FIA and FOM loomed. At the time, he said he had a final deadline of November 15 to receive responses from car racing bodies before taking any action against them.
Former Driver Massa Says He’s Suing F1 And The FIA For The Incident That He Thinks Cost Him The 2008 Title.
“Many drivers agree with me on this but prefer not to speak up. “I don’t regret anything; justice is a greater good here,” he stated.
Jean Todt, a former team principal at Ferrari during Massa’s career and an ex-FIA president told the Italian daily “La Stampa” in December that he believed the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix should have been cancelled owing to Crashgate.
SOURCE – (AP)
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics promises to be unlike any other.
In a novelty for the Games, the show will be held on Paris’ famed River Seine rather than in a stadium.
Here is everything you need know about the ceremony…
What to expect from the spectacular opening ceremony.
The eye-catching celebration will take place over a 6km stretch of the Seine. It will start at Austerlitz Bridge and culminate among the gardens, fountains, and palaces in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero.
Almost 100 boats will carry over 10,000 athletes and dignitaries as they cruise past Paris’ prominent monuments such as Notre Dame Cathedral and Pont Neuf.
The boats will transport the parade’s participants as well as the artistic portion of the celebration, which will highlight Paris and France’s history and culture.
The performers’ identities, however, have been kept a mystery.
Thousands of people are still expected to line the river and streets, with millions more watching on television all over the world.
“I’d like to show France in all its diversity,” said Thomas Jolly, the French actor and theatre director appointed as the ceremony’s creative director, a post previously played by Danny Boyle in London 2012.
“Illustrate the richness and plurality shaped by its history, which has been influenced and inspired by the diverse cultures that have passed through it, while itself serving as a source of inspiration.”
The ceremony will also involve the ceremonial opening of the Games, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
Many of the finer elements have been maintained as a surprise.
What is the date and time of the opening ceremony?
The ceremony will commence at 19:30 local time (18:30 BST) on Friday, July 26.
It is scheduled to take little under four hours, with the last parts taking place as the sun sets over the French city.
Fortunately, the Paris weather forecast for Friday evening is positive.
In what sequence will the nations be introduced?
In accordance with tradition, Greece will be the first nation introduced during the ceremony.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, an NBA star, is one of their flagbearers for the games.
Greece will be followed by the Refugee Olympic Team, with hosts France being the last to be unveiled.
Because of their countries’ involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, Russian and Belarussian athletes participating as individuals will not participate.
How to follow the opening ceremony on BBC.
The opening ceremony will begin live at 17:45 BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app.
BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds will provide radio coverage beginning at 19:00 BST.
There will also be live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app, bringing you all the action from Paris.
Source: BBC
Sports
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
PARIS — Coco Gauff, a tennis player, will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the United States Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony.
Coco, the reigning US Open winner, is ready to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games, becoming the first tennis player to carry the American flag. Team USA athletes selected her and James.
“I believe the Olympics are the priority. It’s equal to the Grand Slams. I wouldn’t put it above or below because I’d never played before. “This is my first time,” Gauff explained earlier this year. “I always want to do well and get a medal.”
Coco Gauff | AP News Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
Coco and James, the 39-year-old NBA’s all-time top scorer, engage in sports outside the traditional Olympic realm and receive media attention year-round rather than every four years.
Coco, 20, joined the American team for the Tokyo Olympics as a youngster three years ago but had to withdraw because she tested positive for COVID-19 just before flying to Japan.
Coco, who now lives in Florida, has won Grand Slam titles in both singles and doubles. She earned her first major triumph in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open, and then won her first Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open in June with Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova.
The Paris Olympics will be played on the same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open. The bracket draw will take place on Thursday, and play will begin on Saturday.
Coco is seeded second in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind Poland’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek, and will be one of the medal favorites.
Coco Gauff | AP news Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
She and her normal doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, are seeded first in the women’s doubles. Gauff may also compete in mixed doubles; however, those pairs have yet to be determined.
“I’m not putting too much pressure on it, because I want to fully enjoy the experience,” Gauff said of her Olympic debut. “Hopefully I can have the experience multiple times in my lifetime, (but) I’ll treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
SOURCE | AP
When LeBron James was chosen for his first Olympics in 2004, he was unsure what the opening ceremony entailed.
This time, he’ll be a star of the show.
His fellow American Olympians chose James to be the male flagbearer for the United States at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games on Friday night. He is the third basketball player — and the first men’s player — to carry the United States flag at the start of an Olympics, following Dawn Staley in 2004 and Sue Bird in 2021.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together,” James told reporters. “As a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only me, but to my family, all the kids in my community, my teammates, other Olympians, and so many more people throughout the country with huge dreams. Sports have the capacity to unite us all, and I’m honored to be a part of this historic occasion.”
The 39-year-old James learned of the distinction Monday in London, just hours before the United States men’s team was supposed to play its final pre-Olympics exhibition game against World Cup champion Germany.
“We understand how much of an honor it is to be in that position and I think Bron’s entire career, on and off the court, speaks for itself as him being worthy of that honor,” Curry said on the video announcing his nomination.
“He has represented what it means to be excellent both on and off the court in his commitment to service and to uplifting the community in all ways that he knows how has been a lifelong passion,” Curry pointed out. “And the work speaks for itself.”
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
The female U.S. flagbearer is anticipated to be revealed on Tuesday. In 2020, the International Olympic Committee announced that country delegations would have two flagbearers at the Olympics’ opening ceremony, one male and one female, to encourage gender equality. The United States is set to send around 600 competitors to the Paris Games, with approximately 53% women.
“Being chosen by your teammates to carry the flag is a tremendous honor—and a testament to LeBron’s passion for Team USA and dedication to his sport,” U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said.
James, a global icon, four-time NBA champion, and the league’s all-time leading scorer about to begin his record-tying 22nd NBA season, is set to compete in the Olympics for the fourth time, having previously won bronze in 2004, gold in Beijing in 2008, and gold again in London in 2012. He participated in the opening ceremony at his previous three Olympics.
This will be an unprecedented Olympic opening ceremony, with thousands of participants sailing along the River Seine at nightfall toward the Eiffel Tower. According to Olympic officials, the route is a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) one, with some 320,000 spectators expected to watch from the river bank and an estimated 1 billion more watching on televisions around the world.
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
Not all Olympic athletes attend the opening ceremony; many miss it for logistical reasons, such as having to compete the next day. James and the four-time defending gold champion U.S. men shall begin Olympic competition on Sunday, when they face Serbia in Lille, France.
James and the American Olympians will have to wait longer than virtually any other nation for their voyage on the Seine. According to IOC protocol, Greece will lead the march, with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo serving as one of its two flagbearers. The Refugee Olympic Team and over 200 more national delegations will follow. The United States is slated to be next-to-last in the procession because Los Angeles will host the next Summer Olympics in 2028.
As the host, France will be the last nation to participate in the opening ceremony procession. Its men’s basketball team, which includes reigning NBA rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama, begins Olympic competition on Saturday and is not scheduled to attend the opening ceremony.
SOURCE | AP
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