Assen MotoGP, British GP supports
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Good morning and welcome back to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live. It's Friday June 28 and there's a packed day of MotoGP, British Grand Prix support races, rallying and NASCAR ahead.
We're wrapping up Race Centre Live for today, but we'll bring you the latest from Assen on AUTOSPORT.com. Join us tomorrow for more from Assen plus Silverstone GP2 and GP3, Ypres Rally and the Kentucky NASCAR weekend.
The big news, however, is Lorenzo's massive early crash and subsequent trip to the medical centre. We wait to hear the extent of his injury, but organisers have already confirmed he is being treated for a "suspected left collarbone injury."
MotoGP - Assen - practice two results:
1 Marquez; 2 Rossi; 3 Pedrosa; 4 Bradl; 5 Dovizioso; 6 Hayden; 7 Crutchlow; 8 Petrucci; 9 Hernandez; 10 Laverty.
1 Marquez; 2 Rossi; 3 Pedrosa; 4 Bradl; 5 Dovizioso; 6 Hayden; 7 Crutchlow; 8 Petrucci; 9 Hernandez; 10 Laverty.
Rossi falls two tenths short, which means Marquez tops the second practice session at Assen.
Checkered flag
Chequered flag flies, and it seems Rossi is the only man with a chance now of denying Marquez.
Stopwatch
Times fallen faster than we can keep up with - first it's Bradl, then Dovizioso, then Rossi, and now Pedrosa and Marquez. The latter holds top spot - for now at least - with a 1m47.617s.
Stopwatch
And as Abraham falls, Crutchlow moves to the front with a 1m48.761s. He runs on at Turn 1 on the next lap, but takes to the asphalt with a minimum of fuss.
Crash
Karel Abraham down now, losing his Cardion Aprilia at Turn 15.
Organisers say Lorenzo has been taken to the medical centre for a "suspected left collarbone injury."
Stopwatch
Marc Marquez steals top spot with a 1m49.284s. Corti now second, ahead of Rossi, Pedrosa and Crutchlow.
Crash
Another crash - Aleix Espargaro loses it at Turn 10. He too is holding his wrist, but is able to walk and appears OK.
Dr Xavier Mir on the phone in Assen - could be bad news for Lorenzo given that he's the sport's injury specialist.
Rossi moves to second, making it an Italian one-two.
Stopwatch
Another surprise at the top - this time its the Forward FTR-Kawasaki of Corti that hits the front with a 1m50.009s.
15 minutes to, and Dani Pedrosa leads the way from Claudio Corti, Valentino Rossi, Aleix Espargaro and Marc Marquez. Lorenzo, who crashed heavily and is on his way to the medical centre, is sixth. Andrea Dovizioso the only Ducati in the top 10.
Stopwatch
As a pale Lorenzo sits in the ambulance, his chief title rival Dani Pedrosa - seven points clear in the championship - goes fastest with a 1m50.240s.
Not a great place for Lorenzo, Assen. He's crashed out of the race the last two years - in 2011 thanks to the late Marco Simoncelli, and last year after Alvaro Bautista wiped him out in an incident the latter issued a subsequent apology.
Stopwatch
Meanwhile, Espargaro has set a new best - a 1m50.980s.
Worrying this for Lorenzo - he's been shepherded into the ambulance and is off to the medical centre clutching his left wrist.
Crash
Huge crash for Jorge Lorenzo at the sixth-gear Turn 13. He lost the front of his bike hitting some standing water on track, mid-way through a very quick lap. He walks away, but is clutching his left arm...
Stopwatch
They say rain is the great leveller. Yonny Hernandez has just put Paul Bird on top of the pile with a 1m52.456s - riders are clearly getting a handle on conditions though, as Crutchlow and then Marquez shift the benchmark, which now stands at 1m51.036s. Rain still falling.
CRT rider Aleix Espargaro was a remarkable sixth this morning, but that was a one-off right? Wrong, it seems. He's just put the Aspar Aprilia fourth, ahead of the likes of Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.
It doesn't seem all that long ago that Dani Pedrosa was derided for not being able to race in the wet. The Spaniard goes top with a 1m53.896s. Only team-mate Marquez is within one second.
Rain
It really is very wet out there. First laps - admittedly from the CRT contingent - are in in the +2m bracket, 25s down on this morning.
Jorge Lorenzo MotoGP 2013
If you missed first practice, Jorge Lorenzo - winner of the past two races - set the pace, ahead of Cal Crutchlow, Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi. Championship leader Dani Pedrosa was fifth, 0.7s off the pace.
Read the full report here
Green flag
Green flag, and second practice is underway.
Welcome back. Second MotoGP practice is minutes away now, and we have a new twist - rain has been falling at Assen.
While the MotoGP riders head for their debriefs (questions might include "why am I slower than that CRT bike again??"), the Moto2 field are heading out for practice.
After another Moto3 session (Maverick Vinales was fastest in practice one earlier, incidentally), MotoGP will be back out for practice two at 14.05 local time, 13.05 British time and 12.05 GMT.
Race Centre Live will return then to take you through all the action.
After another Moto3 session (Maverick Vinales was fastest in practice one earlier, incidentally), MotoGP will be back out for practice two at 14.05 local time, 13.05 British time and 12.05 GMT.
Race Centre Live will return then to take you through all the action.
Checkered flag
MotoGP - Assen - practice one results:
1 Lorenzo; 2 Crutchlow; 3 Marquez; 4 Rossi; 5 Pedrosa; 6 Espargaro; 7 Bradl; 8 Bautista; 9 Pirro; 10 Smith.
1 Lorenzo; 2 Crutchlow; 3 Marquez; 4 Rossi; 5 Pedrosa; 6 Espargaro; 7 Bradl; 8 Bautista; 9 Pirro; 10 Smith.
MotoGP - Assen: As the chequered flag flies, Crutchlow nips into second, just moments after Marquez had done likewise.
MotoGP - Assen: Bradley Smith played himself in gently in this session and was outside the top 15 at first, but he's now up to 10th.
The Briton is recovering from a skin graft (you might have seen the detailed Twitter pictures...) to repair his injured finger after Barcelona.
The Briton is recovering from a skin graft (you might have seen the detailed Twitter pictures...) to repair his injured finger after Barcelona.
MotoGP - Assen: And quicker still from Espargaro, he's now ahead of Stefan Bradl in sixth.
Just the works Yamahas, works Hondas and Crutchlow are faster. Stunning.
Just the works Yamahas, works Hondas and Crutchlow are faster. Stunning.
MotoGP - Assen: Espargaro gets more and more impressive. He's now jumped to seventh, ahead of Alvaro Bautista's Gresini Honda.
Speaking of Bautista, he's crashed out of the last two grands prix so could really do with a finish in the Netherlands.
Speaking of Bautista, he's crashed out of the last two grands prix so could really do with a finish in the Netherlands.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Assen: Lorenzo goes quicker still, getting the benchmark down to 1m36.263.
MotoGP - Assen: Barbera has a different team-mate this weekend, as Ivan Silva returns to sit in for Hiroshi Aoyama as the Japanese rider recovers from a Barcelona practice crash that cost him part of a finger.
Avintia caused a surprise by calling up relative unknown Javier Del Amoro to take Aoyama's place from qualifying onwards in Spain a fortnight ago. He scored a point by coming home 15th of the 16 runners.
Avintia caused a surprise by calling up relative unknown Javier Del Amoro to take Aoyama's place from qualifying onwards in Spain a fortnight ago. He scored a point by coming home 15th of the 16 runners.
MotoGP - Assen: Espargaro isn't the only CRT man in the top 10 though, Hector Barbera just moved up to 10th for Avintia.
MotoGP - Assen: Aleix Espargaro is, as usual, fastest of the CRT riders, with all the Ducatis among those behind him as he sits eighth.
MotoGP - Assen: Rossi still hasn't returned to the podium since his star performance in his first race back at Yamaha in Qatar.
He said after last week's Barcelona and Aragon tests that he had made a breakthrough with braking set-up that could be the key to revitalising his season, but that's not the first time this year he's had that hope...
He said after last week's Barcelona and Aragon tests that he had made a breakthrough with braking set-up that could be the key to revitalising his season, but that's not the first time this year he's had that hope...
By: Matt Beer, Sam Tremayne, Charles Bradley, Scott Mitchell, Andrew van de Burgt
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