Aragon MotoGP, Zandvoort DTM, Ricard FR3.5
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MotoGP - Aragon: Good laps from Stefan Bradl and Aleix Espargaro, they go up to second and ninth respectively.
Crash
MotoGP - Aragon: There's our first crash of the Aragon weekend as Alvaro Baustista loses his Gresini Honda at the top of the Corkscrew section.
He's unhurt and the bike doesn't look too badly damaged from a long slide over the run-off.
He's unhurt and the bike doesn't look too badly damaged from a long slide over the run-off.
MotoGP - Aragon: Here's the order going into the final 12 minutes of the day's running.
1 Marquez; 2 Pedrosa; 3 Lorenzo; 4 Bautista; 5 Crutchlow; 6 Bradl; 7 Rossi; 8 Dovizioso; 9 Smith; 10 Hayden.
1 Marquez; 2 Pedrosa; 3 Lorenzo; 4 Bautista; 5 Crutchlow; 6 Bradl; 7 Rossi; 8 Dovizioso; 9 Smith; 10 Hayden.
Breaking news
Brendon Hartley
WEC: Some big sportscar news breaking, as AUTOSPORT reveals that former Red Bull protege Brendon Hartley is in line for a Porsche LMP1 drive.
MotoGP - Aragon: It's now a Honda one-two as Pedrosa claims second from Lorenzo.
MotoGP - Aragon: Aleix Espargaro isn't actually the CRT pacesetter at present. That honour goes to Hector Barbera, who is just ahead of him in 10th.
MotoGP - Aragon: While Marquez and Lorenzo are running away with things at the front, their team-mates Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi are back in quiet sixth and seventh places... although as we type that, Pedrosa jumps to third ahead of Alvaro Bautista.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Aragon: The afternoon practice session has started with a bang as Lorenzo and Marquez immediately smash their morning marks.
Marquez is top after seven minutes on a 1m48.987s while Lorenzo has done a 1m49.405s.
Marquez is top after seven minutes on a 1m48.987s while Lorenzo has done a 1m49.405s.
Quote
FR3.5 - Paul Ricard: Kevin Magnussen's pace in this morning's session has sparked some concern with title rival Stoffel Vandoorne.
"We didn't make the gains we should have in terms of lap time when we switched to new tyres," he says. "We need to fix that - we know that Kevin is bloody fast in qualifying and often once you are starting at the front it doesn't matter if your pace is not as good on used tyres because you have track position."
Vandoorne believes his car is strong enough during a long run, but his comments suggest a concern that Magnussen may be able to defend his points lead simply by qualifying better than his fellow McLaren junior.
"We didn't make the gains we should have in terms of lap time when we switched to new tyres," he says. "We need to fix that - we know that Kevin is bloody fast in qualifying and often once you are starting at the front it doesn't matter if your pace is not as good on used tyres because you have track position."
Vandoorne believes his car is strong enough during a long run, but his comments suggest a concern that Magnussen may be able to defend his points lead simply by qualifying better than his fellow McLaren junior.
ERC - Croatia: While we were working that out though, Kopecky took 18.6s out of Aigner's lead and got the gap down to 10s... So we might've been premature in pondering Subaru victories.
ERC - Croatia: Subaru stats search complete. In ERC terms, the last Subaru win was Rally Poland in 2011, when Kajetan Kajetanowicz - who humbled the ERC regulars on his home turf again two weeks ago - triumphed.
But that was before the ERC/IRC merger, when the European series wasn't really top tier.
The only Subaru win in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge was when Conrad Rautenbach (remember his Citroen WRC stint?) won the Safari in 2007. But he wasn't registered for the championship and the Safari's inclusion in the IRC was a bit of an odd case anyway as the series regulars rarely turned up.
So we reckon for a proper outright Subaru win at the top level, you have to go back to Petter Solberg in Wales in 2005.
But that was before the ERC/IRC merger, when the European series wasn't really top tier.
The only Subaru win in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge was when Conrad Rautenbach (remember his Citroen WRC stint?) won the Safari in 2007. But he wasn't registered for the championship and the Safari's inclusion in the IRC was a bit of an odd case anyway as the series regulars rarely turned up.
So we reckon for a proper outright Subaru win at the top level, you have to go back to Petter Solberg in Wales in 2005.
Checkered flag
FR3.5 - Paul Ricard: First practice has finished, with Magnussen - who can seal the title this weekend if he outscores Vandoorne by 15 points - fastest.
Muller and Negrao are next up for Draco, while a late effort from Antonio Felix da Costa got him up to fourth and ahead of Vandoorne.
Muller and Negrao are next up for Draco, while a late effort from Antonio Felix da Costa got him up to fourth and ahead of Vandoorne.
Andreas Aigner
ERC - Croatia: OK, we were sceptical about the potential entertainment of this rally, but it's turned into a corker so far.
Andreas Aigner and Herrmann Gassner Jr are running first and second in their Production class Subaru and Mitsubishi respectively after the first three stages, half a minute clear of championship leader Jan Kopecky in the best of the Super 2000 cars.
Aigner and Gassner are both former Red Bull proteges and the former was Production WRC champion in 2008.
So when was the last time a Subaru driver won outright in one of rallying's top two series...? AUTOSPORT is heading stats-wards to find out...
...hopefully Aigner won't hit any trouble while we're checking...
FR3.5 - Paul Ricard: Draco pair Muller and Andre Negrao appear to be repeating their form from Hungary. Both have got between Magnussen and Vandoorne to slot into second and third. Muller is within 0.2s of Magnussen's time.
Stopwatch
FR3.5 - Paul Ricard: Vandoorne makes a bigger jump this time and goes second behind Magnussen. The championship leader responds by going even faster, taking his advantage out to 0.5s.
Stopwatch
FR3.5 - Paul Ricard: Magnussen goes fastest, nearly half a second clear of the field. Vandoorne briefly moves from sixth to fifth, but he is bumped back down by Mikhail Aleshin with seven minutes to go.
Click here to get the thoughts of the two title protagonists heading into the penultimate round of the season.
Click here to get the thoughts of the two title protagonists heading into the penultimate round of the season.
FR3.5 - Paul Ricard: As win most 'modern' tracks that are surrounded asphalt run-offs, the stewards have their work cut out this weekend to make sure drivers don't gain an advantage by going off track.
On that subject, a message has gone to all drivers to make sure they use the designated escape roads (marked out by cones) to "make sure you lose enough time".
On that subject, a message has gone to all drivers to make sure they use the designated escape roads (marked out by cones) to "make sure you lose enough time".
FR3.5 - Paul Ricard: With 20 minutes of the first free practice session to go things are relatively quiet on track.
Hungaroring winners Nico Muller and Antonio Felix da Costa lead the way at the moment. Championship leader Kevin Magnussen is third, with his title rival Stoffel Vandoorne sixth.
Hungaroring winners Nico Muller and Antonio Felix da Costa lead the way at the moment. Championship leader Kevin Magnussen is third, with his title rival Stoffel Vandoorne sixth.
Checkered flag
MotoGP - Aragon - practice one results:
1 Lorenzo; 2 Marquez; 3 Pedrosa; 4 Bautista; 5 Rossi; 6 Bradl; 7 Crutchlow; 8 Dovizioso; 9 Hayden; 10 Smith.
1 Lorenzo; 2 Marquez; 3 Pedrosa; 4 Bautista; 5 Rossi; 6 Bradl; 7 Crutchlow; 8 Dovizioso; 9 Hayden; 10 Smith.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Aragon: Lorenzo steals it! He comes through 0.008s faster to pinch the top spot from Marquez.
If these two can battle as closely all weekend, this is going to be superb.
If these two can battle as closely all weekend, this is going to be superb.
MotoGP - Aragon: Pedrosa improves his time but stays third, Crutchlow remains seventh... and now Lorenzo suddenly magics up a new best third sector...
MotoGP - Aragon: Cal Crutchlow and Pedrosa are on better laps though...
MotoGP - Aragon: Into the last minute and not looking like there will be any changes at the top.
ERC - Croatia: Everyone thought Jan Kopecky would have it easy this weekend, but it's not proving that way so far.
Only fourth fastest on the superspecial, he's now struggling on hard tyres in this morning's surprise rain and is set to lose more ground as the rest of the field comes through.
Only fourth fastest on the superspecial, he's now struggling on hard tyres in this morning's surprise rain and is set to lose more ground as the rest of the field comes through.
MotoGP - Aragon: Marquez has got a bit more speed in this bike. He's done personal bests in sector one for the last two laps but has yet to improve over the whole lap.
MotoGP - Aragon: Iannone obviously felt new boy Hernandez was getting a bit close. He's just done a lap that blasted his Pramac Ducati up to ninth, 1.3s ahead of his team-mate.
MotoGP - Aragon: Pedrosa does his best lap of the morning so far and gets within two tenths of his title rivals Marquez and Lorenzo.
MotoGP - Aragon: Hernandaz is now only three and a half tenths slower than Iannone. Good effort on his first morning on a prototype.
MotoGP - Aragon: We've had a few rider changes since the last round in Italy.
Yonny Hernandez has got himself onto the Pramac Ducati that should've belonged to Ben Spies this year.
That prompted a reshuffle at Paul Bird Motorsport, where Michael Laverty is now on the ex-Hernandez Aprilia, and returnee Damian Cudlin is trying the team's home-built chassis.
The other changes is at Cardion AB. With Karel Abraham sitting out the rest of the season for shoulder surgery, a legacy of his Indianapolis crash, Supersport racer Luca Scassa is making his MotoGP debut.
Right now Hernandez is 16th but within 0.7s of Pramac team-mate Andrea Iannone. Scassa, Laverty and Cudlin are 21st, 22nd and 24th.
Yonny Hernandez has got himself onto the Pramac Ducati that should've belonged to Ben Spies this year.
That prompted a reshuffle at Paul Bird Motorsport, where Michael Laverty is now on the ex-Hernandez Aprilia, and returnee Damian Cudlin is trying the team's home-built chassis.
The other changes is at Cardion AB. With Karel Abraham sitting out the rest of the season for shoulder surgery, a legacy of his Indianapolis crash, Supersport racer Luca Scassa is making his MotoGP debut.
Right now Hernandez is 16th but within 0.7s of Pramac team-mate Andrea Iannone. Scassa, Laverty and Cudlin are 21st, 22nd and 24th.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Aragon: Marquez goes quickest, a 1m49.761s beating Lorenzo by 0.082s. They're half a second clear of the rest now.
ERC - Croatia: Yesterday it was 26 degrees and sunny in Croatia but now it's absolutely pouring as the crews begin stage two.
They started with a quick superspecial last night, which produced a bit of an upset.
They started with a quick superspecial last night, which produced a bit of an upset.
MotoGP - Aragon: Marquez improves and gets to within 0.198s of Lorenzo, who then raises the bar a bit further with a 1m49.843s.
MotoGP - Aragon: Here's the order approaching the halfway point:
1 Lorenzo; 2 Marquez; 3 Pedrosa; 4 Bautista; 5 Bradl; 6 Rossi; 7 Crutchlow; 8 Dovizioso; 9 Smith; 10 Hayden.
1 Lorenzo; 2 Marquez; 3 Pedrosa; 4 Bautista; 5 Bradl; 6 Rossi; 7 Crutchlow; 8 Dovizioso; 9 Smith; 10 Hayden.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Aragon: And Lorenzo goes into the 1m49s with a 1m49.887s lap, 0.4s faster than Marquez, who is now out and improving.
MotoGP - Aragon: Lorenzo's next lap is going to be faster still...
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Aragon: Now Lorenzo shows his hand and goes fastest on 1m50.204s, a tenth quicker than Marquez.
MotoGP - Aragon: Bit of angst for Pedrosa. He's on a better lap than Marquez for most of the lap then comes across Bryan Staring's CRT bike at the final corner and has to back off.
MotoGP - Aragon: Now we have an all-Honda top four, it's works men Marquez and Pedrosa, followed by Gresini's Alvaro Bautista and LCR's Bradl.
Jorge Lorenzo is chilling though, he's just done an exploratory three-lap run and is 11th.
Jorge Lorenzo is chilling though, he's just done an exploratory three-lap run and is 11th.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Aragon: Sure enough Marquez goes top on a 1m50.382s, with Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa following him into second place.
MotoGP - Aragon: Stefan Bradl is the early pacesetter on the acclimatisation laps, though Marc Marquez could be poised to depose him imminently.
By: Matt Beer, Glenn Freeman, Dan Cross, Jamie O'Leary, Andrew van Leeuwen, Gary Watkins, Charles Bradley, Pablo Elizalde, Marcus Simmons, Andrew van de Burgt
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