Pirelli moved to counter some of F1's "wilder tire conspiracy theories" on Thursday after dominant world champion Mercedes "struggled to get up to speed" in Singapore last weekend. The Italian company said in a statement at the Japanese Grand Prix that it had "no say over which tires were allocated to whom, or when they were used." Some of the more extreme theories circulating within the paddock after qualifying and the race wondered whether Mercedes might "somehow have been given different tires to their rivals to slow them down" (REUTERS, 9/24). ... National Rugby League CEO Dave Smith has "emphatically denied" his code has a drug problem, declaring that "there is not a widespread abuse of prescription drugs in rugby league." The near-death of the South Sydney pair Dylan Walker and Aaron Gray has led to suggestions that prescription drug abuse is a "major issue for the game." But Smith said, "All you can do is deal with the facts and data, and the data does not suggest a widespread problem in rugby league" (Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH, 9/24). ... FIA and Formel 3 Vermarktungs GmbH signed an extension of their agreement regarding the organization and promotion of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. It is the first renewal of the agreement among the parties, since the FIA appointed Formel 3 Vermarktungs GmbH as its Formula 3 championship promoter in '13 (FIA). ... The Japan FA has signed a renewed partnership MOU with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The MOU between RFEF and JFA aims to cooperate with each other in technical assistance and coach education, talent promotion, national teams, refereering, administration and legal matters (JFA).
