The Daimler AG, which owns the Mercedes car brand, "will, for now, continue with its F1 involvement, but it also has an exit option due to the bribery investigation against F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone." Daimler management board member Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt said that the company "has a contractual exit clause." She said, "That goes all the way to the right of termination. We would make use of those clauses if necessary" (MOTORSPORT TOTAL, 6/3). ... Ecclestone has met on various occasions with South Korean tire manufacturer Hankook regarding tire production. Though negotiations have taken place, a Hankook spokesperson denied the possibility of a deal for '14. The spokesperson said, "For '14 it is completely impossible, not only because of the lack of time, but also due to the lack of tests for F1" (AS, 6/2). ... About two dozen Chinese coaches and referees graduated from China's First American Arena Football Coach/Referee One Week Training Camp on Friday. This is "the first time" that the Arena Football League has been to China to hold a professional training camp (XINHUA, 6/3). ... The Badminton World Federation said Monday that the "implementation of the instant review system on disputed line-calls would be postponed due to some technical issues in recent testing." The camera-based system "was scheduled to be formally introduced" in the Indonesia Open this month after testing in the Malaysia Open and the Sudirman Cup last month (XINHUA, 6/3). ... There is a push for Swimming Australia to "look outside its own ranks to find an acting president" to replace Barclay Nettlefold, who resigned on Sunday amid claims that "he had made inappropriate comments to staff and a female consultant" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 6/4). ... The annual General Assembly of SportAccord voted for accepting two new members to join the organization -- the Int'l Cheer Union and Federation Internationale de I'Automobile (SportAccord).
