Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1076517
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 JANUARY 2019 23 SPORTS FORMULA 1 Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Wednesday Weather Rather cloudy with showers, locally thundery, gusty and with hail, becoming partly cloudy by evening Visibility Good except in showers Wind West force 6 becoming WNW 6 to 7 Sea Rough Swell Low Northwest becoming low to moderate overnight TODAY TOMORROW Weather Crossword Across 3. Extremely hot (5,3) 9. Participant (5) 10. Large island in the Channel (3) 11. Pull laboriously (3) 12. Basic (11) 14. Paddled (5) 16. Back of the neck (4) 17. Crawl (5) 19. Act properly (6) 20. A failure (3) 22. Hovers (6) 23. Sound (5) 25. Speech defect (4) 26. Set apart as sacred (5) 28. Not qualified (11) 30. Impair (3) 31. Young bear (3) 32. Arranges in groups (5) 33. Superficial (4,4) Down 1. One of two equal parts (4) 2. Farewell (4-3) 4. One's native land (8) 5. Grow teeth (6) 6. Evening of Oct. 31 (9) 7. Large cat (5) 8. Weapon (5) 13. Portable weather protection (8) 15. Visualise (8) 18. Medley (3-6) 21. Space between two objects (8) 24. Outward movement (7) 25. Neither gas nor solid (6) 26. Trail (5) 27. Explosive weapons (5) 29. Partial darkness (4) THUNDERY SHOWERS UV: 3 MAINLY SUNNY UV: 3 14 0 / 10 0 15 0 / 11 0 FORMULA 1's race organisers have expressed concerns over the future of the sport and demanded a more open ap- proach from its owners. The F1 Promoters' Associa- tion, which represents 16 of the 21 races on the calendar, say they want "a more collabo- rative approach from F1" in future. They are worried about the loss of free-to-air television, a lack of clarity over rules and F1's attempts to attract new races. The race organisers will ex- press those concerns to F1 bosses in London. The circuits' intervention comes at a delicate time for F1, with the contracts of five major races all up for renewal at the end of this season. Brit- ain, Italy, Spain, Germany and Mexico are all out of contract after this year. All want to continue to host races but say they cannot do so under the financial terms on offer from F1, which is owned by US group Liberty Media. Silverstone managing direc- tor Stuart Pringle, chairman of the F1PA, said: "Everyone is disgruntled. Liberty's ideas are disjointed. We have all been compliant and quiet hitherto, but we have great concerns about the future health of the sport under the people who run it now." Race-hosting fees are the sin- gle biggest source of revenue for F1, so the circuits hold a strong hand in discussions. Liberty are determined to make major changes to the way F1 is run. But talks on their plans to introduce a budget cap, reorganise rev- enue distribution to the teams and change the technical rules to make the racing closer have been slow. The circuits say it is a risk for them to be asked to plan long- term contracts with a partner without knowing the direction in which the product is head- ing. They have been concerned by what they believe was Lib- erty's willingness to offer an advantageous deal to Miami for a race-insiders claim that it was effectively offered a race for free, so keen was F1 to se- cure an event in the Florida city. Efforts to finalise a deal have so far foundered. A statement said: "There is a lack of clarity on new initia- tives in F1 and a lack of en- gagement with promoters on their implementation. "New races should not be in- troduced to the detriment of existing events although the association is encouraged by the alternative business mod- els being offered to prospec- tive venues." The circuits are also con- cerned that the migration of TV coverage away from mass- market outlets towards either pay television or direct to con- sumer through F1's own out- lets will inevitably restrict the sport's appeal. Formula 1 organisers concerned over future of the sport Although TV audiences have dropped in Italy, the Italian Grand Prix is still one of the most well-attended races on the calendar