Europe

Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has granted Silverstone permission to defer its race fee for this season’s British Grand Prix until 2016, as the historic circuit faces renewed questions over its long-term place on the calendar of the motor racing series.

Klaus Allofs, sports director of German Bundesliga football club VfL Wolfsburg, has said the level of investment by the team’s owner, Volkswagen, will not be affected despite the emissions scandal surrounding the automotive giant.

Event organisers have hailed the success of the 2015 Rugby World Cup as the tournament continues to break records on its path towards becoming the biggest edition of the event to date.

Uefa president Michel Platini has stressed he is “still determined” to run for the top job in world football, adding there is “no doubt” about his integrity amid the attention currently being focused on the 2011 payment of CHF2m (€1.83m/$2.06m) that the Frenchman received from Fifa.

Euroleague Basketball has agreed a long-term integrity partnership with Sport Integrity Monitor (SportIM) which will lead to the launch of a monitoring system that will be the first of its kind in the sport.

Formula One teams Force India and Sauber have filed an official complaint to the European Union’s Competition Commission concerning the motor racing championship’s governance and revenue distribution model.

Kevin Roberts investigates why and how brands are attracted to French sports properties.

SportBusiness International looks at the major sports events on the horizon for France, as well as its battlefield television broadcast industry.

Bastien Drut, French economist and consultant for Soccernomics, gives his account of how football club Paris Saint-Germain is pioneering the domestic game.

Later this month the destiny of rugby’s world cup will be decided at Twickenham, the home of the Rugby Football Union in West London.

London has made a late decision to reject the chance to stage the Grand Depart of the 2017 Tour de France, with Germany now reportedly set to assume the hosting rights to the opening rounds of the cycling showpiece.

Golf’s European Tour has unveiled the initial sector of its 2016 Race to Dubai, with the calendar reflecting the strengthened ties with the Asian Tour through the addition of two new events.

Uefa president Michel Platini has stressed he has not been accused of any wrongdoing and has offered to speak to Fifa’s Ethics Committee to help resolve any issues in connection to the 2011 payment of CHF2m (€1.83m/$2.06m) that he received from world football’s governing body.

French automotive manufacturer Renault is set to return to full-works status in the Formula One motor racing championship after announcing it intends to acquire a controlling stake in the financially embattled Lotus team.

Ben Schwerin, director of partnerships for social media platform Snapchat and Andrew Strauss, director of England Cricket, have been announced as the latest additions to the speaker line up for the Leaders Sport Business Summit, which takes place on October 7-8 at Stamford Bridge in London.

European Weightlifting Federation (EWF) president Antonio Urso flexes his political muscles, following his fallout with the sport’s international governance.