SPORT IN BRIEF
Lotus to end 16-year F1 exile
FORMULA ONE: Lotus will return to the grid next season for the first time in 15 years.
The team has been awarded the final spot by governing body the FIA, joining Campos GP, Manor and US F1 as the new outfits on board.
Discussions are now set to take place between the FIA and the 10 existing teams over whether the grid should be expanded from 13 to 14 teams next season to let in “14th team” BMW Sauber, who announced yesterday they had agreed to sell to Swiss-based Qadbak Investments.
Team Lotus competed in F1 from 1958 to 1994, winning seven constructors’ championships and six drivers’ championships including those of Graham Hill and Jim Clark in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Burley handed Scotland backing
FOOTBALL: George Burley is to stay on as manager of Scotland following crisis talks with the Scottish Football Association. Burley’s position was under review after the Scots failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
But SFA chief executive Gordon Smith said: “We felt that there were positive signs about aspects of the campaign, despite the fact we did not qualify.
“And we want to invest our faith going forward in the manager and the players. George has the SFA’s full backing.”
Strauss down to last four
CRICKET: England captain Andrew Strauss has been named on a four-man shortlist for the International Cricket Council’s Cricketer of the Year award.
The 32-year-old opening batsman, who led England to victory in the Ashes series this summer, is nominated along with Indian duo Gautam Gambhir and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson.
Strauss could also be named Test Player of the Year on 1 October, while fast bowler Graham Onions is up for an emerging player award.
Armitage out for three months
RUGBY UNION: London Irish full-back Delon Armitage has been ruled out for three months after being told he requires surgery on a dislocated shoulder.
Armitage was injured in his side’s 40-10 victory over Gloucester on Saturday and will undergo surgery on Monday, thus ruling him out of England’s autumn internationals.
He becomes the second England casualty in 24 hours, following centre Riki Flutey, who was injured playing for French club Brive at the weekend.