Le Mans MotoGP, Oschersleben DTM
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Crash
Moto2 - Le Mans: Bad news for the home crowd as top French rider Johann Zarco crashes. He'd been completely baffled to only be 20th on the grid yesterday.
Moto2 - Le Mans: Simone Corsi emerged in second on the first lap and now he's dived past Kallio to lead.
Crash
Moto2 - Le Mans: Mattia Pasini and Cardus have had a tangle in the midfield. While Cardus is still on the ground with his bike, Pasini comes over and taps him firmly on the helmet. The Italian is still waving arms and fists around as Cardus re-mounts and rides off.
BSS - Brands Hatch: Proczyk appears equal to the pressure Buhk is heaping on him. Jiminez is up to third, but seven seconds down.
Lights out
Moto2 - Le Mans: Folger made a great start from pole but Kallio's getaway from row two was better still and he outbrakes the German for the lead further round the lap. Folger gets held out wide and falls to fifth.
Moto2 - Le Mans: The Moto2 grid sets off for the formation lap. Pole went to rookie Moto3 graduate Jonas Folger for the underdog AGR team, as the German followed up his maiden podium at Jerez last time out.
Championship leader Tito Rabat is second, sandwiched between Moto3 graduates with Luis Salom completing the front row.
Rabat's main title rivals Mika Kallio and Maverick Vinales start fourth and seventh.
Top 10 grid:
1 Jonas Folger
2 Tito Rabat
3 Luis Salom
4 Mika Kallio
5 Tom Luthi
6 Simone Corsi
7 Maverick Vinales
8 Ricky Cardus
9 Sandro Cortese
10 Sam Lowes
Championship leader Tito Rabat is second, sandwiched between Moto3 graduates with Luis Salom completing the front row.
Rabat's main title rivals Mika Kallio and Maverick Vinales start fourth and seventh.
Top 10 grid:
1 Jonas Folger
2 Tito Rabat
3 Luis Salom
4 Mika Kallio
5 Tom Luthi
6 Simone Corsi
7 Maverick Vinales
8 Ricky Cardus
9 Sandro Cortese
10 Sam Lowes
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Marco Wittmann
DTM – Oschersleben: Molina's disqualification from yesterday's qualifying means that points leader Marco Wittmann will start today's race from pole position.
Even when he thought he was starting second, Wittmann was satisfied with the job he did in qualifying, particularly given he is carrying five kilograms extra than the Audi drivers after his win at Hockenheim.
"I am very happy with this second place. It was not an easy qualifying for us. We had to fight hard to achieve good lap times.
"The five additional kilograms in the car are certainly not an advantage. However, we did a good job and got the best out of the situation. Two qualifyings, and second on the grid twice: I can be very satisfied with that."
BSS - Brands Hatch: Buhk is up to second and closing on Proczyk.
Indianapolis 500: One man who didn't make the top nine was Kurt Busch - but he might've done had he not needed to leave early to shoot across to Charlotte for NASCAR's All-Star race.
'The Outlaw' had been as high as third on the Indy 500 speed charts, but couldn't respond as others improved because he was on an aeroplane by then, so fell to 10th.
That was one place better than he ended up in the All-Star, which was won by Jamie McMurray.
NASCAR All-Star race report
'The Outlaw' had been as high as third on the Indy 500 speed charts, but couldn't respond as others improved because he was on an aeroplane by then, so fell to 10th.
That was one place better than he ended up in the All-Star, which was won by Jamie McMurray.
NASCAR All-Star race report
BSS - Brands Hatch: Safety car is in: Proczyk leads from Mayr-Melnhof, Buhk and Ramos.
BSS - Brands Hatch: The pitstops are over and the safety car is out after Zanardi spun at Clark Curve. Proczyk leads after taking over the Grasser Lambo from Bleekemolen.
Moto3 - Le Mans: That win for Miller was very well-timed with Fenati retiring - it's given him a big jump forward in the title battle.
Championship standings after five of 18 rounds:
1 Jack Miller 104
2 Romano Fenati 74
3 Efren Vazquez 72
4 Alex Rins 71
5 Alex Marquez 60
6 Isaac Vinales 44
(25 points for a win)
Full 2014 Moto3 statistics on FORIX
Championship standings after five of 18 rounds:
1 Jack Miller 104
2 Romano Fenati 74
3 Efren Vazquez 72
4 Alex Rins 71
5 Alex Marquez 60
6 Isaac Vinales 44
(25 points for a win)
Full 2014 Moto3 statistics on FORIX
Ed Carpenter
Indianapolis 500: It's qualifying weekend at Indy, and that would normally mean we'd know the poleman by now.
But Ed Carpenter's Saturday pace didn't get him a second straight Indy 500 pole, as we have a(nother) new format for 2014.
As a result, Saturday isn't 'Pole Day', today is. Saturday could've been 'Bump Day', but the entry was a bump-free 33 cars.
What was decided yesterday was who made it into the 'Fast Nine' pole shootout session. They'll fight for pole later, after everyone else has settled the 10th-33rd starting order.
There will be full AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live coverage of the big race itself next Sunday.
Checkered flag
Moto3 - Le Mans - results:
1 Jack Miller
2 Alex Rins
3 Isaac Vinales
4 Francesco Bagnaia
5 Alex Marquez
6 Efren Vazquez
7 Enea Bastianini
8 John McPhee
9 Alexis Masbou
10 Jakub Kornfeil
1 Jack Miller
2 Alex Rins
3 Isaac Vinales
4 Francesco Bagnaia
5 Alex Marquez
6 Efren Vazquez
7 Enea Bastianini
8 John McPhee
9 Alexis Masbou
10 Jakub Kornfeil
Checkered flag
Moto3 - Le Mans: Miller makes it across the line first after a spectacular last few corners. He finishes inches ahead of Rins and first-time podium finisher Vinales.
Vazquez's last bid for the lead ended in a brush with Miller, with the Spaniard running wide and down to sixth.
Cue unhappy gesticulations between the Aussie and the Spaniard on the slowing-down lap.
It doesn't distract Miller from some wild celebrations for long, though.
Vazquez's last bid for the lead ended in a brush with Miller, with the Spaniard running wide and down to sixth.
Cue unhappy gesticulations between the Aussie and the Spaniard on the slowing-down lap.
It doesn't distract Miller from some wild celebrations for long, though.
BSS - Brands Hatch: Vanthoor can't get a full second ahead of Bleekemolen - he's 0.6s up with five minutes to go before the pits open.
Moto3 - Le Mans: Miller makes it back into the lead on the last lap, with Vazquez trying everything to repass him.
Moto3 - Le Mans: As things get tense up front with Vazquez and Rins, the lead pack has grown to eight bikes, with young Scot John McPhee in the thick of it too.
Miller is third and Marquez sixth going onto the penultimate lap.
Miller is third and Marquez sixth going onto the penultimate lap.
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DTM – Oschersleben: The big news from Oschersleben is that Miguel Molina will start the race from the back of the grid.
The Abt Audi driver stunned the field by qualifying fastest by a whopping 0.5s yesterday, but last night he was disqualified when his rear wing endplates were judged to be sitting too far back.
Audi DTM boss Dieter Gass explained the situation to ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN this morning.
"The problem is that the rear wing endplates were too far behind. You need to consider that the chain of parts that the rear wing endplate is connected to is a chain of standard parts. Those standard parts have a tolerance window of six millimetres.
"The problem is that the rear wing endplate is bolted on to the rear wing, and has no tolerance to the rear. On this car, the whole assembly of the rear wing was approximately three millimetres back, within the tolerance. But because the position of the endplates are fixed, they went outside of the allowed value."
The Abt Audi driver stunned the field by qualifying fastest by a whopping 0.5s yesterday, but last night he was disqualified when his rear wing endplates were judged to be sitting too far back.
Audi DTM boss Dieter Gass explained the situation to ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN this morning.
"The problem is that the rear wing endplates were too far behind. You need to consider that the chain of parts that the rear wing endplate is connected to is a chain of standard parts. Those standard parts have a tolerance window of six millimetres.
"The problem is that the rear wing endplate is bolted on to the rear wing, and has no tolerance to the rear. On this car, the whole assembly of the rear wing was approximately three millimetres back, within the tolerance. But because the position of the endplates are fixed, they went outside of the allowed value."
BSS - Brands Hatch: Vanthoor has stretched his lead to eight tenths after six laps of the Brands GP circuit.
The stewards are investing the contact at the start between Vanthoor and Gotz.
The stewards are investing the contact at the start between Vanthoor and Gotz.
Moto3 - Le Mans: Four laps left and Vazquez has thrust himself back into the lead battle. He now taking on Rins for the victory, with Miller, Vinales and Marquez behind them.
Moto3 - Le Mans: Big moment for the title battle as Fenati slows with a mechanical problem and parks in the pits.
ELMS - Imola: Qualifying for round two of the European Le Mans Series took place at the former San Marino Grand Prix venue a short time ago.
Jota took its second straight pole, this time with on-loan Audi star Filipe Albuquerque doing the honours by six tenths of a second over TDS' Tristan Gommendy.
Nelson Panciatici was third for Signatech, ahead of Murphy man Nathanael Berthon and Morand's Christian Klien.
Matteo Cressoni stuck the Kessel Ferrari on GTE pole, beating SMP Ferrari's Andrea Bertolini.
Jota took its second straight pole, this time with on-loan Audi star Filipe Albuquerque doing the honours by six tenths of a second over TDS' Tristan Gommendy.
Nelson Panciatici was third for Signatech, ahead of Murphy man Nathanael Berthon and Morand's Christian Klien.
Matteo Cressoni stuck the Kessel Ferrari on GTE pole, beating SMP Ferrari's Andrea Bertolini.
Lights out
BSS - Brands Hatch: Vanthoor converts pole into the race lead after initially being outdragged by Gotz. There looks to be have been a little contact at Paddock, dropping the Merc behind Bleekemolen and Winkelhock.
Moto3 - Le Mans: Having cleared Vinales, Marquez is now closing team-mate Rins down for the lead. The gap was 1.7s, it's become 0.7s with nine laps left.
Marc Marquez's little brother hasn't won a grand prix yet...
Miller is back up to fourth behind Vazquez, having just dealt with Vinales pretty firmly.
Fenati is embroiled in a big dice with VR46 team-mate Francesco Bagnaia for seventh. Looks like the winning run is coming to an end.
Marc Marquez's little brother hasn't won a grand prix yet...
Miller is back up to fourth behind Vazquez, having just dealt with Vinales pretty firmly.
Fenati is embroiled in a big dice with VR46 team-mate Francesco Bagnaia for seventh. Looks like the winning run is coming to an end.
Wacky bird
DTM - Oschersleben: Meanwhile in Germany, this has just arrived in the Oschersleben press room.
BSS - Brands Hatch: Reigning FIA GT Series champion Vanthoor is on pole following an ultra-impressive lap on tyres past their best right at the end of the session. The WRT Audi driver snatched pole by just a couple of hundredths from Goetz in the best of the HTP Mercs.
Brands Hatch BSS qualifying report
Brands Hatch BSS qualifying report
Moto3 - Le Mans: Suddenly this race begins to falls into Alex Rins's hands.
Vazquez and Miller went wide at the end of the backstraight in a brush that could be viewed as the Spaniard trying to squeeze into too small a gap or the Australian not giving enough room.
Then while trying to recover, Vazquez slips the back of Alex Marquez's bike and sends both across the run-off briefly.
All of which leaves Isaac 'cousin of Maverick Vinales' in second, holding off the recovering Marquez.
Vazquez and Miller went wide at the end of the backstraight in a brush that could be viewed as the Spaniard trying to squeeze into too small a gap or the Australian not giving enough room.
Then while trying to recover, Vazquez slips the back of Alex Marquez's bike and sends both across the run-off briefly.
All of which leaves Isaac 'cousin of Maverick Vinales' in second, holding off the recovering Marquez.
BSS - Brands Hatch: We're 10 or so minutes away from the start of the first major international sportscar race at the Kentish venue for nearly 18 years. Porsche won the Global Endurance GT Series event here in 1996, but the German manufacturer isn't represented on the grid this time.
The Farnbacher Porsche 911 GT3-R was withdrawn after a shunt in FP1 when Philipp Frommenwiler got on the kerbs at Stirlings and looped it into the barriers. A big shame for team-mate Nick Tandy who had looked quick straight away.
The Farnbacher Porsche 911 GT3-R was withdrawn after a shunt in FP1 when Philipp Frommenwiler got on the kerbs at Stirlings and looped it into the barriers. A big shame for team-mate Nick Tandy who had looked quick straight away.
Moto3 - Le Mans: Now it's Rins involved in a 'he drafts past, you outbrake him back' shuffle with Vazquez for the lead.
Moto3 - Le Mans: Rins battles through into the lead ahead of Vazquez and Miller, with local man Masbou, Isaac Vinales, Alex Marquez, Niklas Ajo and Fenati just behind.
Moto3 - Le Mans: Miller leads onto lap four, and now Rins gets between the leaders into second.
Back in the pack, Red Bull junior Karel Hanika has a high-side. He's unhurt.
Back in the pack, Red Bull junior Karel Hanika has a high-side. He's unhurt.
Moto3 - Le Mans: Same again on the back straight: Vazquez drafts past, Miller outbrakes his way back in front.
Tucked in behind them is pre-season title favourite and Repsol protege Alex Rins. No wins for him yet in 2014, and that's a big disappointment for a man some are already tipping is an eventual MotoGP challenger for Marc Marquez.
Rins has turned up this weekend with a purposeful new haircut, though. Even amid the tiny margins of Moto3, that probably won't prove crucial. But he does look sharper.
Tucked in behind them is pre-season title favourite and Repsol protege Alex Rins. No wins for him yet in 2014, and that's a big disappointment for a man some are already tipping is an eventual MotoGP challenger for Marc Marquez.
Rins has turned up this weekend with a purposeful new haircut, though. Even amid the tiny margins of Moto3, that probably won't prove crucial. But he does look sharper.
Moto3 - Le Mans: Starting lap two they swap places twice more - Vazquez drafting ahead on the pits straight and Miller getting it back under braking.
Aspar's Juanfran Guevera is the first crasher of the race. He's OK.
Aspar's Juanfran Guevera is the first crasher of the race. He's OK.
Lights out
Moto3 - Le Mans: Action-packed first few yards as Miller makes the better start only for Vazquez to draft back past him into the Dunlop chicane.
The Spaniard went wide mid-corner though and it was Miller who emerged ahead.
The Spaniard went wide mid-corner though and it was Miller who emerged ahead.
Moto3 - Le Mans: Vazquez is only third in the championship, where Valentino Rossi's protege Romano Fenati is hunting down Aussie Jack 'the new Casey Stoner?' Miller after two straight wins in Argentina and Spain.
Fenati only starts 10th, but he turned that same spot into a victory at Jerez a fortnight ago.
Fenati only starts 10th, but he turned that same spot into a victory at Jerez a fortnight ago.
Moto3 - Le Mans: Pole yesterday went to Efren Vazquez. Amazingly, it's the 27-year-old series veteran's first pole at world championship level - and he hasn't won a grand prix yet either.
Vazquez has been on the scene since coming into 125cc in 2008, the year he won the Spanish title in that class. He's been an occasional podium-finisher, but his 2014 campaign with RTG is proving to be a breakthrough one.
Here's how the field lines up:
1 Efren Vazquez
2 Jack Miller
3 Alex Rins
4 Alexis Masbou
5 Niklas Ajo
6 Issac Vinales
7 Alex Marquez
8 John McPhee
9 Zulfahmi Khairuddin
10 Romano Fenati
Vazquez has been on the scene since coming into 125cc in 2008, the year he won the Spanish title in that class. He's been an occasional podium-finisher, but his 2014 campaign with RTG is proving to be a breakthrough one.
Here's how the field lines up:
1 Efren Vazquez
2 Jack Miller
3 Alex Rins
4 Alexis Masbou
5 Niklas Ajo
6 Issac Vinales
7 Alex Marquez
8 John McPhee
9 Zulfahmi Khairuddin
10 Romano Fenati
Moto3 - Le Mans: First up on a hot day in France is Moto3. The riders are on the grid and the course car is doing its final pre-race lap.
Marc Marquez
MotoGP - Le Mans: Plenty of surprises through the French Grand Prix weekend so far, but all of them behind first place...
Marc Marquez was fastest on Friday, then dominated qualifying, setting a record pace right from the start of Q2.
But he'll have rookie Pol Espargaro and Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso alongside him on the front row, with the Yamahas back in fourth and fifth, and Dani Pedrosa only ninth.
Le Mans MotoGP qualifying report
Good morning and welcome to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live for the Le Mans MotoGP and Oschersleben DTM race day.
We'll also have updates from the Blancpain Sprint Series at Brands Hatch, as international sportscar racing returns to Kent for the first time since 1996, and Imola's European Le Mans Series round, plus recaps of events at Indianapolis, Barbagallo, Charlotte and the Azores.
We'll also have updates from the Blancpain Sprint Series at Brands Hatch, as international sportscar racing returns to Kent for the first time since 1996, and Imola's European Le Mans Series round, plus recaps of events at Indianapolis, Barbagallo, Charlotte and the Azores.
By: Matt Beer, Gary Watkins, Andrew van Leeuwen
Published:
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