Mercedes F1 driver
LEWIS HAMILTON said that teammate
NICO ROSBERG "has admitted he hit him deliberately during the Belgian Grand Prix 'to prove a point.'" Rosberg "clipped Hamilton's left rear wheel on the second lap of the race at Spa, causing a puncture which demoted Hamilton from the lead of the race to the back of the field." Hamilton: "It looked quite clear to me but we just had a meeting about it and he basically said he did it on purpose" (
CRASH, 8/24). ... Spanish pentathlete
JUAN MANUEL ARAUJO FARRAY "has died of a gunshot to the head in Nicaragua," sources have said. His body was "found floating" in the San Juan River on Wednesday. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Cooperation "confirmed the death" and said in a statement, "The Embassy has been following the case from the first moment and has been in contact with the authorities to follow the investigation and with the family to facilitate the process" (
EP, 8/23). ... EPL Queens Park Rangers Manager
HARRY REDKNAPP has offered
PAUL GASCOIGNE "a chance to work at QPR as he continues to battle alcoholism." The former England player "is reportedly being treated in Poole hospital after being found drunk outside his home." Redknapp "has tried to help him by encouraging him to come along to QPR’s training ground and work with the youth team" (
London GUARDIAN, 8/22). ... Chinese Super League Guangzhou Evergrande coach
MARCELLO LIPPI "has been given a mild punishment by Asian football chiefs for his astonishing charge onto the pitch to harangue the referee during last week’s Asian Champions League quarterfinal defeat to Western Sydney." Lippi "will be banned for just the return leg on Wednesday for what the Asian Football Confederation termed an 'indiscretion'" (
Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH, 8/24). ... Four-time F1 world champion
SEBASTIAN VETTEL "will have a new race engineer next season."
GUILLAUME ROQUELIN "will move on from his race engineering role to a new senior position with the team -- but will still attend grands prix."
Vettel's new race engineer will be
GIANPIERO LAMBIASE, who is currently
SERGIO PEREZ's race engineer at Force India (
AUTOSPORT, 8/24). ... Scottish Championship side Rangers Manager
ALLY MCCOIST "has vowed to stay at Ibrox" -- amid speculation that he is "on a list of candidates" for the vacant EPL Crystal Palace job.
Reports in London suggested McCoist "is one of a host of names linked with the position at Selhurst Park," along with former Celtic Manager
NEIL LENNON (
Scotland DAILY RECORD, 8/24). ... Dutch mountain-bike rider
ANNEFLEUR KALVENHAAR "has died form injuries in a fall during the qualifying rounds of the UCI World Cup in the French Alps." The 20-year-old "died on Saturday after being admitted to the intensive care unit at a nearby Grenoble hospital."
She "crashed on Friday during the elimination rounds for the cross-country event in the resort of Meribel" (
BBC, 8/23).
