Misano MotoGP, Kubica's home rally, Oschersleben DTM
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Good morning from AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live.
There's a plethora of offerings this weekend. We'll be kicking off today with WRC Rally Australia - where Sebastien Ogier can mathematically clinch his first WRC crown - and MotoGP at Misano, where rookie Marc Marquez will be bidding to return to winning ways and extend his points advantage at the head of the championship.
On top of that there is also Formula Renault 3.5 and the ELMS at the Hungaroring, the first Chase round of the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Chicagoland, V8 Supercars at Sandown, ERC in Poland - featuring Robert Kubica, amongst others - DTM at Oschersleben, BTCC at Rockingham and European Rallycross at Greinbach.
There's a plethora of offerings this weekend. We'll be kicking off today with WRC Rally Australia - where Sebastien Ogier can mathematically clinch his first WRC crown - and MotoGP at Misano, where rookie Marc Marquez will be bidding to return to winning ways and extend his points advantage at the head of the championship.
On top of that there is also Formula Renault 3.5 and the ELMS at the Hungaroring, the first Chase round of the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Chicagoland, V8 Supercars at Sandown, ERC in Poland - featuring Robert Kubica, amongst others - DTM at Oschersleben, BTCC at Rockingham and European Rallycross at Greinbach.
Green flag
MotoGP - Misano: Green flag, and first practice at Misano is underway.
WRC - Australia: Loads of fans pouring into Coffs Harbour superspecial stage. Two more runs at the mile-long town centre test scheduled for tonight. First one up and running in... five minutes.
Breaking news
MotoGP - Misano: Dry weather for this opening practice. The big news, if you missed it yesterday, is that Yamaha has brought its seamless gearbox to Italy, which both Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi hope will help carry the fight to Honda.
Yamaha also announced that it will supply an M1 engine, plus a frame and swingarm on a one-year deal, to Forward Racing next year.
Yamaha also announced that it will supply an M1 engine, plus a frame and swingarm on a one-year deal, to Forward Racing next year.
WRC - Australia: Unsurprisingly, Sebastien Ogier arrives at the superspecial leading the event by 18.4 seconds from Mikko Hirvonen. The drivers have been working on their cars before the stage, working on suspension clicks to improve the turn in on the asphalt following a day on the gravel. Completing this job involves lying precariously beneath the front wheel of their cars.
WRC 2013
WRC - Australia: Speaking of the Frenchman, he turned in a perfect morning today, winning all three gravel stages south of Coffs Harbour. The WRC series leader admitted he was running the loop as a fast recce, just checking his notes. Makes you wonder just how quick he’ll be through the afternoon…
SS8 Report: Ogier extends lead over Citroens
WRC - Australia: Have to say, Autosport has not been impressed with the noisy build-up to the cars arriving in the stage. Some sort of thrash metal arrangement has almost made my ears bleed. Cars are in now. Quinn and Al-Qassimi clear of SS9.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Misano: No surprises at the head of the field - Marc Marquez sets the early pace with a 1m35.350s, with Rossi second and Lorenzo third. Pedrosa yet to set a competitive time.
MotoGP - Misano: Bradl jumps to second now, as Lorenzo has a time chalked off for exceeding track limits.
WRC - Australia: Loads of dust coming up from the gravel section of the velodrome section of the stage which is right next to the service park. Latvala quickest so far.
WRC - Australia: Dust no more. The organisers are watering the two gravel corners in the stage. Mikkelsen quickest now - repeating his rally-leading effort from last night.
WRC - Australia: Third-placed Meeke is 1.8 down on Mikkelsen's benchmark through superspecial, but he's not keen on the test. "There's a lot of dust in there and with all this concrete around, it's a little bit stupid."
MotoGP - Misano: After his earlier brake problems, Pedrosa is back out and back up to speed - he vaults into second, just fractions down on team-mate Marquez.
WRC - Australia: Hirvonen echoes his Citroen team-mate Meeke's sentiments on the Coffs stage. "This is really, really bad with the dust. Through that left-hand corner I couldn't see a thing. This is not really smart..." Ogier now fastest - he takes a second out of Mikkelsen in one mile! Can the Frenchman make it a clean sweep and win every stage today?
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Misano: Marquez improves the overall pace, and he's now in the 1m34s. Pedrosa and Bradl make it a Honda 1-2-3 at the halfway mark, with Rossi and Lorenzo fourth and fifth.
WRC - Australia: Local driver Nathan Quinn completes the final stage of the day with another yee-haa. Typically upbeat, the New South Wales driver admitted to being "a bit friendly with the barriers..." in SS10.
Andreas Mikkelsen WRC 2013
WRC - Australia: Mikkelsen clearly a big fan of this stage as he moves fastest in SS10. Those tweaks he made to his car are clearly working...
MotoGP - Misano: One rider we haven't mentioned much is Cal Crutchlow. After a horrible home round, the Briton is currently circulating in eighth, just behind Dovizioso and Bautista. Just six races left on the Yamaha now, before his 2014 switch to Ducati.
WRC - Australia: Meeke stalls on the line dropping 10 seconds in the stage. He's slipped to fourth behind Neuville. Neuville forced to follow right behind Meeke in the DS3's dust. "That was completely stupid!" said Neuville. "I could see nothing in the dust in those corners where there was dust. They gave us some water on the first run, but then there's nothing. Stupid!"
WRC - Australia: Ogier's hopes of the perfect day dashed by the smallest possible margin. Latvala wins SS10 by a tenth of a second.
MotoGP - Misano: Pedrosa is now also in the 1m34s, but his new best is still some four tenths off Marquez. Its a Honda 1-2 now, with Lorenzo - currently sat in the pits - heading Rossi in the fight for third.
WRC - Australia: Despite not winning the stage, Ogier still builds his lead further - he starts tomorrow 20 second ahead of the rest of the field. Volkswagen's dominance of the Coffs Harbour stage still intact. After four runs around town, Mikkelsen, Ogier and Latvala are still the only drivers to have gone quickest.
MotoGP - Misano: Interesting stuff here as Marquez hounds Pedrosa on track.
Lorenzo and Rossi meanwhile continue to trade blows in the fight for third. The Spaniard is in the ascendancy now, joining the Hondas in the sub 1m35s bracket.
Lorenzo and Rossi meanwhile continue to trade blows in the fight for third. The Spaniard is in the ascendancy now, joining the Hondas in the sub 1m35s bracket.
Checkered flag
MotoGP - Misano: Chequered flag, and Marquez tops the pile once more, from Pedrosa, Lorenzo and Rossi.
MotoGP - Misano - Free Practice 1:
1 Marquez; 2 Pedrosa; 3 Lorenzo; 4 Rossi; 5 Bautista; 6 Bradl; 7 Hayden; 8 Dovizioso; 9 Pirro; 10 Espargaro.
1 Marquez; 2 Pedrosa; 3 Lorenzo; 4 Rossi; 5 Bautista; 6 Bradl; 7 Hayden; 8 Dovizioso; 9 Pirro; 10 Espargaro.
Cal Crutchlow MotoGP 2013
MotoGP - Misano: A bad session for Crutchlow and for Tech 3 - the Briton winds up 11th fastest, team-mate Smith 13th. Crutchlow reporting issues with the rear tyre.
Breaking news
We've had a bit of breathing space after a hectic opening to today.
If you're only just coming on, and missed the earlier action, Marc Marquez - who else - set the pace in MotoGP's first practice session at Misano, while Yamaha's new seamless gearbox helped Lorenzo and Rossi to third and fourth respectively.
Read the full report here.
If you're only just coming on, and missed the earlier action, Marc Marquez - who else - set the pace in MotoGP's first practice session at Misano, while Yamaha's new seamless gearbox helped Lorenzo and Rossi to third and fourth respectively.
Read the full report here.
Breaking news
Meanwhile in Australia, Sebastien Ogier completed a 'perfect' day - he was fastest on every stage bar the final SS10, when team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala edged him by 0.1s.
The Frenchman, who can clinch a first WRC crown this weekend, now leads by 20s from Mikko Hirvonen.
Thierry Neuville meanwhile stole ahead in a very tight battle for third, but only after a rare mistake from Kris Meeke.
Read the full report here.
The Frenchman, who can clinch a first WRC crown this weekend, now leads by 20s from Mikko Hirvonen.
Thierry Neuville meanwhile stole ahead in a very tight battle for third, but only after a rare mistake from Kris Meeke.
Read the full report here.
We'll be back in full force at 1300 BST for the second MotoGP practice in Italy. Join us then.
Welcome back to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live for a midday treat (if you're in Europe) of MotoGP action from Misano.
Breaking news
If you're just logging on and missed it this morning, Casey Stoner appears set to end to his V8 Supercars career after just one year - but it won't be in order to return to MotoGP apparently.
"To be honest, after this year, I realised I want to get away from competition for a little while," Stoner was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Read the full story here.
"To be honest, after this year, I realised I want to get away from competition for a little while," Stoner was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Read the full story here.
Marc Marquez MotoGP 2013
MotoGP - Misano: Marc Marquez was of course quickest in opening practice this morning, but only by 0.2s from Dani Pedrosa, who was beset by brake problems early on.
Green flag
MotoGP - Misano: Can Marquez make it two in a row in Italy? We're about to find out - the green flag flies and we're underway.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Misano: It is Rossi who is fastest after the opening flyers, although his 1m36s is some two seconds off this morning's best.
Lorenzo improves upon that next time round, only to be demoted in quick succession by Pedrosa and then Rossi again. The Italian is now down to a 1m35.255s.
Lorenzo improves upon that next time round, only to be demoted in quick succession by Pedrosa and then Rossi again. The Italian is now down to a 1m35.255s.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Misano: And a 1m34.662s now from Rossi - only Marquez (in FP1) has been faster than that so far this weekend.
The Spaniard brings that home by instantly deposing Rossi by just over two tenths of a second.
The Spaniard brings that home by instantly deposing Rossi by just over two tenths of a second.
MotoGP - Misano: Marquez, incidentally, is unbeaten in his last three races at this track. He won in 125s in 2010, beat Stefan Bradl to Moto2 victory in 2011 and then dominated last year's Moto2 race, claiming pole, fastest lap and a narrow win over Pol Espargaro.
MotoGP - Misano: Tech 3 still struggling, with Crutchlow and Smith 11th and 13th - as they were in FP1.
Crash
MotoGP - Misano: Smith falls at Turn 1, but it's relatively benign and he's able to scamper after his bike immediately.
Marquez meanwhile has shaved a few tenths off his timesheet-topping best, even after having one of his laps chalked off for exceeding track limits. Lorenzo also had one lap removed for the same reason in first practice.
Marquez meanwhile has shaved a few tenths off his timesheet-topping best, even after having one of his laps chalked off for exceeding track limits. Lorenzo also had one lap removed for the same reason in first practice.
MotoGP - Misano: Unbelievable from Marquez, who loses the front of his Honda but saves it with his elbow, pushing the bike back up and forcing it to grip once again.
Crash
Stefan Bradl MotoGP 2013
MotoGP - Misano: We've almost got used to seeing Yonny Hernandez fall, after his myriad of offs at Silverstone.
He's down again at Misano, and moments later Stefan Bradl also loses his bike exiting Turn 6. He's currently sixth fastest, behind the works Hondas, Yamahas and Gresini's Alvaro Bautista.
By: Sam Tremayne, David Evans, Jamie O'Leary, Pablo Elizalde, Dan Cross, Glenn Freeman, Connell Sanders Jr, Ben Anderson, Matt Beer
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