Acropolis Rally, Mugello MotoGP weekend
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Acropolis Rally: Andreas Mikkelsen reported one of the biggest moments of his career when the brakes failed on his Volkswagen Polo R WRC this morning. A flailing cooling hose broke the brake line to the front-right wheel in the morning's third stage.
"My foot went straight to the floor when I hit the brakes," he said. "It was really scary. The first time I ever had anything like that. Fortunately, it was into an uphill three left, it could have been really bad in a fast place - especially with all these cliffs around! Now I have to reset my mind and forget about it."
"My foot went straight to the floor when I hit the brakes," he said. "It was really scary. The first time I ever had anything like that. Fortunately, it was into an uphill three left, it could have been really bad in a fast place - especially with all these cliffs around! Now I have to reset my mind and forget about it."
Acropolis Rally: SS7 should kick off in 10 minutes and when it does, Jari-Matti Latvala will hope to continue his impressive form from this morning's runs. He's looked happier in Greece than he has for a long time.
Checkered flag
MotoGP - Mugello - free practice four results: 1 Pedrosa; 2 Lorenzo; 3 Bradl; 4 Rossi; 5 Crutchlow; 6 Dovizioso; 7 Marquez; 8 Bautista; 9 Hayden; 10 Pirro.
Green flag
MotoGP - Mugello: Q1 is go. 15 minutes to set the field from 13th back, and to see which two riders get through to Q2.
Blancpain - Silverstone - free practice: Richard Abra fastest in Barwell Aston. Good showing by the Brit to be one hundredth up on superstar Frederic Makowiecki in the factory car. Continuing the theme, Aston Martin Racing team principal John Gaw is fourth
IndyCar - Detroit: Coming up in just over an hour's time is the second IndyCar qualifying session, which will determined the grid for Sunday's second race.
EJ Viso will start this evening's race from pole after yesterday's pacesetter Dario Franchitti was hit with a penalty.
EJ Viso will start this evening's race from pole after yesterday's pacesetter Dario Franchitti was hit with a penalty.
Bradley Smith
MotoGP - Mugello: Top contenders to get into Q2 are prototype men Marc Marquez, Bradley Smith and Andrea Iannone.
The Italian has the advantage of being least injured - he's had a full three weeks since arm pump surgery, whereas Marquez damaged his shoulder and chin in his ferocious practice crash, which was quickly followed by Smith's hand-mangling accident.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Mugello: Marquez does a 1m49.0s, 1.7s clear of everyone else in Q1.
That's probably job done then...
That's probably job done then...
Acropolis Rally: Sebastien Ogier kicks off a slightly delayed - but dry - SS7. He's on track at the moment and rain looks like a distinct probability.
MotoGP - Mugello: Marquez has a fight on his hands. Smith pips him to the top spot, although the Honda is soon back in front, 0.2s quicker.
Iannone is 0.2s behind Smith.
Iannone is 0.2s behind Smith.
Acropolis Rally:FIA president Jean Todt, WRC manager Michele Mouton, M-Sport team principal Malcolm Wilson and Nasser Al-Attiyah talk about the sport's future in service today.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Mugello: Marquez puts himself half a second clear again with a 1m48.5s.
Looks like Aleix Espargaro will be the only CRT man in Q2. His Aspar team-mate Randy de Puniet is fourth in Q1, over a second off Marquez.
Looks like Aleix Espargaro will be the only CRT man in Q2. His Aspar team-mate Randy de Puniet is fourth in Q1, over a second off Marquez.
MotoGP - Mugello: That said, de Puniet's just done the best sector three time of anyone...
Iannone is in to switch to his spare bike, as Smith closes to within 0.3s of Marquez.
Iannone is in to switch to his spare bike, as Smith closes to within 0.3s of Marquez.
MotoGP - Mugello: Marc Marquez and Bradley Smith's Q2 places are secure because Andrea Iannone's final lap will not be quick enough.
Iannone has ended up as Pramac's sole rider again with Ben Spies withdrawing.
Iannone has ended up as Pramac's sole rider again with Ben Spies withdrawing.
MotoGP - Mugello - Q1 results: 1 Marquez; 2 Smith; 3 Iannone; 4 de Puniet; 5 Barbera; 6 Petrucci; 7 Edwards; 8 Corti; 9 Laverty; 10 Abraham.
Acropolis Rally: The first three runners - Ogier, Hirvonen and Ostberg - have lamented the Greek terrain and its abrasive surface. Avoiding the big rocks is key to a good result on the Acropolis Rally.
Acropolis Rally: Jari-Matti Latvala is on his SS7 run and looks the likeliest to knock Ogier from the stage lead. The rally leader is driving very, very well.
Green flag
MotoGP - Mugello: Q2 is underway. Jorge Lorenzo must be pole favourite given his practice pace, but Dani Pedrosa has been getting quicker, Valentino Rossi is fired-up at home, and who would ever rule out Marc Marquez in any circumstances?
Acropolis Rally: Latvala posts a time of 11m13.8s to take the stage lead from Ogier and head a Volkswagen 1-2-3! Sordo and Novikov are aiming to change that but the Citroen driver has lost time in the second split.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Mugello: Jorge Lorenzo kicks off with a 1m47.621s, the fastest lap of the weekend so far.
Acropolis Rally: And it will be a trio of VWs at the head of SS7. Sordo's mistake left him with too much to do and he is the latest driver to complain about the tough terrain. He comes in seventh, 11.2s own on Latvala. Meanwhile Novikov - who looked set to go to the top of the timesheets - has lost 20s in the third split.
Crash
MotoGP - Mugello: Not for the first time this season, Cal Crutchlow has a qualifying crash. He walks away but will need his spare bike. Eight minutes left.
MotoGP - Mugello: A dodgy shoulder and a battered chin can't slow Marquez. He follows Rossi through to go second fastest behind Lorenzo.
MotoGP - Mugello: With seven minutes and perhaps two pole shots each left, the order is Lorenzo ahead of Marquez, Rossi, Bradl, Pedrosa, Crutchlow, Dovizioso and Hayden.
Acropolis Rally: Novikov reveals he had a small spin and comes in 11th for SS7. WRC 2 leader Robert Kubica, pictured here at lunchtime, has extended his advantage even further.
IndyCar - Detroit: Half an hour away from qualifying for the second race in this weekend's IndyCar double-header, and most teams are no doubt using the time to figure out exactly how the rather complicated qualifying system works. On the plus side, it's not raining - yet. Currently on track is Grand-Am for what seems like its 15th practice session of the weekend.
MotoGP - Mugello: Nicky Hayden jumps to third, putting a Ducati on the front row at home... for now.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Mugello: Jorge Lorenzo increases his provisional pole advantage with a record lap of 1m47.226s, 0.537s clear of Marquez.
MotoGP - Mugello: Cal Crutchlow is back out on his spare bike and knocks Valentino Rossi off the front row by taking third.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Mugello: Dani Pedrosa steals pole away from Jorge Lorenzo!
The Honda was only seventh until he produced that 1m47.157s to beat Lorenzo by 0.069s.
The Honda was only seventh until he produced that 1m47.157s to beat Lorenzo by 0.069s.
Acropolis Rally - SS7 results:
Stage results: 1 Latvala; 2 Ogier + 3.7s; 3 Mikkelsen + 4.5s; 4 Hirvonen + 5.9s; 5 Ostberg + 7.1s.
Overall results: 1 Latvala; 2 Sordo + 29.9s; 3 Neuville + 1m21.5s; 4 Al Attiyah + 3m05.7s; 5 Mikkelsen + 3m20.2s.
Stage results: 1 Latvala; 2 Ogier + 3.7s; 3 Mikkelsen + 4.5s; 4 Hirvonen + 5.9s; 5 Ostberg + 7.1s.
Overall results: 1 Latvala; 2 Sordo + 29.9s; 3 Neuville + 1m21.5s; 4 Al Attiyah + 3m05.7s; 5 Mikkelsen + 3m20.2s.
Checkered flag
MotoGP - Mugello - Q2 results: 1 Pedrosa; 2 Lorenzo; 3 Dovizioso; 4 Crutchlow; 5 Bradl; 6 Marquez; 7 Rossi; 8 Hayden; 9 Bautista; 10 Pirro.
DTM - Spielberg: The reason for our late qualifying session today has become obvious. A normal session would clash with the Bayern Munich v Stuttgart German Cup final, and with series organisers desperate to maximise potential TV audiences, a clash has been avoided.
Acropolis Rally: So Latvala edges even further clear of Sordo, who cannot afford to lose any more time to the VW. Neuville is a lonely third but the battle for fourth is a bit more promising - 15s between Al Attiyah and Mikkelsen.
FR3.5 - Spa: On the support bill this weekend, Briton Oliver Rowland has taken a comfortable victory in the Formula Renault Eurocup. Pierre Gasly and Oscar Tunjo joined him on the podium, while pole-sitter Jake Dennis slipped to sixth.
DTM - Spielberg: Support race news now, and in Porsche Carrera Cup Germany qualifying, Norbert Siedler took a double pole for Aust Motorsport. He will start ahead of points leader Kevin Estre and Sean Edwards in race one, while Jaap van Lagen and Estre will be right behind him on the race-two grid.
FR3.5 - Spa: The cars leave the pits to make their way to the grid for race one. Lights out at 15.15 local time.
IndyCar - Detroit: Attention will soon turn to Detroit and qualifying for the second race of IndyCar's first double-header. It's been an eventful meeting already, with changes to the qualifying system and a chaotic opening practice session.
FR3.5 - Spa: There's every chance of an entertaining FR3.5 race here. The new-for-2012 car produced good racing last year, and with title rivals Magnussen and da Costa sharing the front row we could be in for a cracker.
DTM - Spielberg: And to add to the supports news, Kelvin van der Linde (nephew of Etienne) took pole for the first of two races this weekend with Michelle Gatting alongside. Brit Ross Wylie starts 10th while the best of the 'legends' drivers is Hans-Joachim Stuck in 15th.
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Peter Mills, Mark Glendenning, Jamie O'Leary, Glenn Freeman, Scott Mitchell, Gary Watkins, Charles Bradley
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