Acropolis Rally, Mugello MotoGP weekend
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Good morning and welcome to the first ever day of AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live.
This is a brand new rolling blog for every racing weekend, bringing together coverage of all major international motorsport series for live updates from AUTOSPORT's team across the world's paddocks.
The opening weekend features the Acropolis Rally, MotoGP's Italian Grand Prix, DTM and European Formula 3 at Spielberg in Austria, Formula Renault 3.5 at Spa-Francorchamps, NASCAR at Dover, IndyCar's first double-header in Detroit, and Auto GP and the Blancpain Endurance Series at Silverstone.
First up will be World Rally Championship qualifying from Greece at 7:30 GMT.
Sunny morning here in Loutraki. Sebastien Ogier quickest on his second practice run, 0.9s up on Thierry Neuville. All priority drivers have completed the obligatory two runs.
Sebastien Ogier
So far in 2013, no one named anything other than Sebastien has won a round of the WRC. Loeb triumphed on two of his three part-time appearances so far, including last time out in Argentina, while Ogier has won the other three rallies.
With no Loeb in Greece this weekend, it's up to the likes of Mikko Hirvonen, Dani Sordo, Mads Ostberg and Jari-Matti Latvala to try to peg back Ogier's growing points lead.
WRC standings after five of 13 rounds:
1 Sebastien Ogier 122
2 Sebastien Loeb 68
3 Mikko Hirvonen 57
4 Jari-Matti Latvala 49
5 Mads Ostberg 38
Could be some disruption around Europe this morning. AUTOSPORT's Jamie O'Leary (@mrjamieoleary) is hearing reports of snow at Spielberg, where the DTM and European Formula 3 are in action, while Glenn Freeman (@glenn_autosport) could be in for a quiet time at Spa initially, where fog is delaying sessions including Formula Renault 3.5.
Last year's Acropolis Rally was a Sebastien Loeb victory, although not an easy one, with the Fords pushing him hard and a puncture causing a late scare.
Back then Sebastien Ogier was still biding his time in a VW-run Super 2000 Skoda, finishing a distant eighth overall.
2012 Acropolis Rally report
Back then Sebastien Ogier was still biding his time in a VW-run Super 2000 Skoda, finishing a distant eighth overall.
2012 Acropolis Rally report
Acropolis Rally: Qualifying is go. Ogier first in.
Here's what is coming up on AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live today.
Friday May 31 - all times GMT
7:33 Acropolis Rally qualifying
7:55 MotoGP Mugello free practice one
9:00 Auto GP Silverstone free practice one
11:15 European Formula 3 Spielberg practice
11:45 Auto GP Silverstone free practice two
12:05 MotoGP Mugello free practice two
13:50 Formula Renault 3.5 Spa free practice
15:10 IndyCar Detroit free practice one
15:15 Auto GP Silverstone qualifying
15:28 Acropolis Rally SS1
15:55 European Formula 3 Spielberg qualifying
18:26 Acropolis Rally SS2
19:00 IndyCar Detroit race one qualifying
19:15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Dover qualifying
Friday May 31 - all times GMT
7:33 Acropolis Rally qualifying
7:55 MotoGP Mugello free practice one
9:00 Auto GP Silverstone free practice one
11:15 European Formula 3 Spielberg practice
11:45 Auto GP Silverstone free practice two
12:05 MotoGP Mugello free practice two
13:50 Formula Renault 3.5 Spa free practice
15:10 IndyCar Detroit free practice one
15:15 Auto GP Silverstone qualifying
15:28 Acropolis Rally SS1
15:55 European Formula 3 Spielberg qualifying
18:26 Acropolis Rally SS2
19:00 IndyCar Detroit race one qualifying
19:15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Dover qualifying
The MotoGP weekend has got underway at Mugello with opening practice for Moto3. Jonas Folger snatched the top spot from local wildcard Andrea Locatelli in the final moments.
Overnight rain meant a damp track, with times a long way off dry pace. That could have an impact on the MotoGP session, which is due to commence in just under a quarter of an hour.
Overnight rain meant a damp track, with times a long way off dry pace. That could have an impact on the MotoGP session, which is due to commence in just under a quarter of an hour.
Acropolis Rally: Start of qualifying delayed. Massive crowds in the stage. FIA safety delegate is taking a second tour in the helicopter to make sure everybody's standing in the right place. Should be ready to go in next five minutes...
Valentino Rossi
MotoGP - Mugello: This is a particularly big weekend for Yamaha in MotoGP. Jorge Lorenzo has slipped behind Honda duo Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez after their recent wins and his troubled French Grand Prix.
And for Italian hero Valentino Rossi, once unbeatable at Mugello, the thought of being left trailing by the 'big three' ahead once again is painful one, though he has taken care to play down expectations.
Acropolis Rally: Zero car in the stage now. Ogier on the line.
MotoGP: Here's a reminder of what happened in the last MotoGP round, the spectacularly dramatic wet French GP at Le Mans:
Pedrosa wins French GP
Pedrosa wins French GP
MotoGP - Mugello: What Jorge Lorenzo really needs this weekend is to repeat last year's dominant Italian GP performance...
2012 Mugello MotoGP report
2012 Mugello MotoGP report
MotoGP - Mugello: Tyre supplier Bridgestone reports a current track temperature of just 13 degrees. There's no rain falling, but it remains overcast.
Green flag
MotoGP - Mugello: Engines roar and the riders begin to explore the track for 45 minutes of practice.
Le Mans MotoGP podium
MotoGP - Mugello: A quick reminder of how the title battle looks right now:
MotoGP standings after four of 18 rounds:
1 Dani Pedrosa 83
2 Marc Marquez 77
3 Jorge Lorenzo 66
4 Cal Crutchlow 55
5 Valentino Rossi 47
Acropolis Rally: Ogier through the 1.86-mile stage in 2m14.5s.
Acropolis Rally: Hirvonen 2.7s down, Latvala 3.4 down on Ogier. Mikko reported no problems and was pretty surprised at Ogier's time...
MotoGP - Mugello: Marc Marquez is the early pacesetter with a 2m01.5s on a damp track. Pole last year was a 1m47s.
Acropolis Rally: Neuville 0.4s faster than M-Sport team-mate Ostberg. Mads reported engine issue on his second FP run. He was also seen enjoying a pretty big two-wheeled moment on the final corner in the stage. Citroen's Sordo closer than anybody else to Ogier at the moment - but still 1.1 down.
MotoGP - Mugello: Cal Crutchlow is now on top on a 2m00.547s, ahead of Lorenzo, Marquez, Dovizioso, Rossi and Hayden. Pedrosa is back in 11th.
FR3.5 - Spa: The World Series by Renault meeting is getting underway at Spa after a fog delay. Although Formula Renault 3.5 is not due out until later, the delays are likely to affect it as there is little recovery time in the Friday schedule.
Checkered flag
Sebastien Ogier
Acropolis Rally: Ogier wins QS and will have first selection of his road position for today's two long (29.64 and 16.18-mile) stages. The weather here is windy, which means dust shouldn't be a problem and the championship leader is likely to run last on the road of the priority drivers.
MotoGP - Mugello: Pedrosa jumps to the top with the first sub-two minute lap of the day, a 1m59.7s.
Acropolis Rally: QS order: Ogier, Sordo, Novikov, Neuville, Ostberg, Mikkelsen, Al-Attiyah, Hirvonen, Latvala, Prokop, Al-Qassimi. Latvala almost spun; Fiesta drivers felt their cars were too low. Running order selection 1015 UK time.
Acropolis Rally: Finns are going to struggle to win from what's likely to be third (Latvala) and fourth (Hirvonen) on the road.
MotoGP - Mugello: Yonny Hernandez has just flown to the top on the Paul Bird Aprilia CRT bike. Trying to work out if he's the first to jump to slicks...
MotoGP - Mugello: Pedrosa is going onto slicks. Most will follow suit.
MotoGP - Mugello: Meanwhile Yonny Hernandez is definitely on dry tyres and is down to a 1m57s. That's still 10s off dry times with less than 10 minutes to go.
MotoGP - Mugello: Valentino Rossi and Randy de Puniet have little trips off the road, which is still slippery.
Crash
MotoGP - Mugello: First crash of the weekend is Ioda's Danilo Petrucci. He walks away unhurt.
Crash
MotoGP - Mugello: Andrea Dovizioso falls at the first corner. Apart from a covering of muddy gravel on his leathers, he is fine. His bike briefly gets dropped as the marshals stumble with it.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Mugello: Marc Marquez takes over at the front on slicks with a 1m56.5s.
Crash
MotoGP - Mugello: Marquez gets down to a 1m54s, then has a minor fall on his next lap.
MotoGP - Mugello: Replays show Marquez ran wide through the gravel, stayed upright, then fell as he hit the grass trying to regain the track.
Checkered flag
MotoGP - Mugello - practice one result: 1 Marquez; 2 Pirro; 3 Bradl; 4 Abraham; 5 Hernandez; 6 Smith; 7 Hayden; 8 Pedrosa; 9 Crutchlow; 10 Spies.
Twitter
Acropolis Rally: Mikko Hirvonen via Twitter: "I don't understand why the times are not better. Feeling with the car is good but maybe I try to push too much."
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Peter Mills, Mark Glendenning, Jamie O'Leary, Glenn Freeman, Scott Mitchell, Gary Watkins, Charles Bradley
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