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UK QATAR

SILVERSTONE TO FAKE STORY CLAIMS

TERMINATE F1 CONTRACT ARAB NATIONS WILL

Silverstone’s owners have BOYCOTT WORLD CUP
announced that they will terminate
their British Grand Prix contract. A fake news story claiming Arab
Silverstone, which staged its first nations had demanded that Fifa
F1 race in 1948, told Liberty Media, strip Qatar of the 2022 World Cup
owners of the rights to F1, that appeared on a website designed
the hosting fee has become too INDONESIA to look like a credible Swiss news
prohibitive and the losses cannot be publication.
sustained. The story appeared to surface
This would mean that Britain on ‘The Local’ website and said six
would lose its only F1 race. A break INDONESIA IN nations called Qatar ‘the base of
clause in the contract was activated, terrorism’.
meaning that the last race at the POSSIBLE 2034 Fifa has dismissed quotes that
central England circuit will be in were accredited to it’s President
2019 unless a new, cheaper contract WORLD CUP BID Gianni Infantino.
can be negotiated. The latest race The story was then widely
held in July was won by Britain’s reported by several major news
Lewis Hamilton, winning a fifth Joko Driyono, the vice president of organisations.
British Grand Prix after pulling off a the Indonesia’s football association, Fifa has denied receiving any
flawless race from the front of the PSSI, said the country had proposed correspondence from the Arab
pack. to lead the South East Asian countries. A spokesman said: “The
A street race in London has consortium to pursue a bid for Fifa President has never received
regularly been mooted, and bringing football’s world cup at an Asian such a letter and he has not made
F1 closer to the fans is a priority for Football Federation (AFF) council any comment on that.”
Liberty. meeting in Vietnam. The fake website, posing as
Liberty Media has spent its Driyono said the bid to host the The Local, had quoted Infantino
first six months in charge of F1 most prestigious football event was as saying: “The countries warned
trying to exploit the commercial “ambitious” but that the consortium, Fifa of the risks threatening fan
opportunities it believes were not comprising countries from the and player security in a country
being seized on toward the end of Association of South East Asian that is ‘the base and the castle of
Bernie Ecclestone’s control of the Nations (ASEAN), had 17 years terrorism’.”
motorsport series. to prepare, with the deadline to The website where the false
“Since I’ve been here, probably register a bid in 2026. report appeared was registered
30 countries, municipalities, China is also believed to be to an address in Hawaii, however
principalities have reached out considering a bid for either the 2030 the personal details appear to be
to me about interest in bringing or 2034 World Cup. fictitious.
Formula One to their cities, their China denies submitting an Qatar currently has a diplomatic
countries, Sean Bratches, F1’s official bid for World Cup 2034 – dispute with its Arab neighbours,
managing director for commercial but it seems it’s only a matter of who accuse it of supporting
operations, told The Associated deciding which year. Islamist opposition groups
Press. So we are in a unique He believed the bid would and extremists, allegations it
spot. We have an abundance of provide a boost to Indonesia and vehemently denies.
opportunities and we are going to their neighbours in their efforts to
have to figure out where we go and improve their football performance.
again at the center of that decision Indonesia co-hosted the 2007
is, ‘What is the best thing for our AFC Asian Cup with Malaysia,
fans?’” Thailand and Vietnam.

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