MotoGP Qatar, NASCAR Fontana
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MotoGP - Qatar: And, from seemingly no where, Smith has just gone top with a time of 1m55.427s.
MotoGP - Qatar: Rossi has had a fairly muted session and is currently 10th.
MotoGP - Qatar: Three minutes remaining and Marquez leads Aleix Espargaro by 0.027s, with team-mate Pedrosa in fourth ahead of Iannone and Smith.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Qatar: Marquez goes quickest of all in the third sector and... vaults to the top of the timesheets with a 1m55.432s. Interestingly, on the harder option rear tyre.
MotoGP - Qatar: And Pedrosa continues to find speed and jumps up to second, now just 0.081s behind Aleix Espargaro.
MotoGP - Qatar: Dani Pedrosa's pace is improving and the Honda rider has just gone third quickest with 1m55.719s - 0.260s off Aleix Espargaro's pace setting time.
MotoGP - Qatar: A brief lull now as the majority of the field dive into the pits for final adjustments.
MotoGP - Qatar: Lorenzo has put in eight laps so far, the most of anyone in this session, as the Yamaha rider tries to address his tyre woes ahead of qualifying. He currently sits in sixth with a time of 1m55.919s.
MotoGP - Qatar: Aleix Espargaro continues to lap the circuit and is putting in a series of lap times in the 1m55.500s region.
Cal Crutchlow MotoGP 2014
MotoGP - Qatar: Former team-mate Cal Crutchlow currently sits in ninth, having just demoted Stefan Bradl. The Brit's quickest time so far is 1m56.451s.
MotoGP - Qatar: Bradley Smith has just entered the top three with 1m55.738s. The Brit bouncing back after a hefty crash during practice yesterday.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Qatar: And sure enough, the Spaniard goes top with a time of 1m55.460s.
MotoGP - Qatar: Aleix Epargaro is moving up the timesheets and is now up to third with 1m55.891s. His quickest time so far this weekend is 1m54.773s, which he set during FP3.
MotoGP - Qatar: Marquez currently occupies second position, 0.302s off the ultimate pace, ahead of Lorenzo.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Qatar: Andrea Iannone is the first to set a benchmark time of 1m55.586s.
Green flag
MotoGP - Qatar: The green light comes on and the final MotoGP practice session of the weekend commences. Riders are pouring out on track underneath the Losail floodlights.
MotoGP - Qatar: And just to remind you, final practice times have no relevance on qualifying later, so expect to see teams try to find optimal set-ups rather than go for outright lap times.
MotoGP - Qatar: Current temperatures at the Losail International Circuit are hovering around the 21°C mark, with track temperatures a single degree lower.
The strong winds that blighted the Moto3 qualifying session have died down, though there is an occasional stiff breeze from the north west, which could affect lap times.
The strong winds that blighted the Moto3 qualifying session have died down, though there is an occasional stiff breeze from the north west, which could affect lap times.
MotoGP - Qatar: Marquez and Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa have been stepping up their pace, but neither they nor the Yamahas of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi - both experiencing rear tyre grip issues - look like pole contenders today.
MotoGP - Qatar: Almost all the non-factory riders who tested at Losail a fortnight ago are enjoying the weekend so far, as the usual order has been upset in the desert.
MotoGP - Qatar: It has been all about fellow Spaniard Aleix Espargaro in the three practice sessions we have had in Qatar so far.
The 24-year-old has been mighty quick and has yet to be deposed from the top of the timesheets.
The 24-year-old has been mighty quick and has yet to be deposed from the top of the timesheets.
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Marquez
MotoGP - Qatar: The reigning champion missed two MotoGP tests ahead of his second campaign at the top level and is making a steady return after six weeks off the bike.
MotoGP - Qatar: The other big event during the off-season was Marc Marquez breaking his right fibula during a dirt-track training session in Spain last month.
MotoGP - Qatar: Ducati’s switch to the Open class is one of the many themes of 2014 that we have pondered in our most recent MotoGP feature, which also includes a fine selection of pictures and a full entry list to boot.
MotoGP 2014: The key storylines
MotoGP 2014: The key storylines
MotoGP - Qatar: Predictably, some of Ducati's competitors are a little bit annoyed/jealous that similar ‘privileges’ are not also available to them.
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MotoGP - Qatar: The Italian outfit has been without a win since 2010 and didn't even come close to the rostrum in 2013, so a switch to the Open class will help, with Ducati eligible to run up to 24 litres and an extra soft rear tyre.
Crucially though, they also get immunity from the engine development ban imposed on factory entries.
Crucially though, they also get immunity from the engine development ban imposed on factory entries.
Ducati
MotoGP - Qatar: We say ‘some’, but just about everything pales in comparison to biggest of the lot: Ducati has switched from being a factory to an Open class entrant.
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MotoGP - Qatar: The last MotoGP practice session of the weekend doesn't get going for another 25 minutes or so, which is sufficient time to go through some of the talking points you may have missed while you were hibernating.
MotoGP - Qatar: Our attention focuses mainly on racing of the two-wheeled variety today, as we bring you live coverage of final practice and qualifying for the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix.
Good afternoon and welcome to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live for the Qatar MotoGP and Fontana NASCAR weekend.
By: Dan Cross, Sam Tremayne
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