Mugello MotoGP, Le Mans test day, Detroit IndyCar
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Welcome to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live as we begin one of the busiest non-Formula 1 weekends of 2014 so far.
We'll be bringing you every moment of action from the Mugello MotoGP weekend, plus the DTM in Hungary, Formula Renault 3.5 at Spa, the IndyCar double-header in Detroit, and tomorrow's official Le Mans 24 Hours test day.
If that's the icing, then there's no shortage of cake, as we're also covering European Formula 3 from Hungary, Auto GP at Monza, United SportsCar on the Detroit streets and NASCAR back on the short tracks at Dover's 'Monster Mile'.
We'll be bringing you every moment of action from the Mugello MotoGP weekend, plus the DTM in Hungary, Formula Renault 3.5 at Spa, the IndyCar double-header in Detroit, and tomorrow's official Le Mans 24 Hours test day.
If that's the icing, then there's no shortage of cake, as we're also covering European Formula 3 from Hungary, Auto GP at Monza, United SportsCar on the Detroit streets and NASCAR back on the short tracks at Dover's 'Monster Mile'.
DTM – Hungary: Practice has just finished here in Budapest. Miguel Molina was fastest for Audi with a 1m37.558s, ahead of BMW's Marco Wittmann (1m37.586s) and Timo Glock (1m37.863s). Best-placed Mercedes was Robert Wickens down in 15th.
Crash
MotoGP - Mugello: Messy start to 'practice four', the session just before qualifying in Italy.
Aleix Espargaro, Bradley Smith and Alvaro Bautista have all had falls in the opening minutes. All were unhurt, but it's hassle their teams don't need with qualifying imminent.
Dani Pedrosa is currently fastest ahead of Marc Marquez.
Aleix Espargaro, Bradley Smith and Alvaro Bautista have all had falls in the opening minutes. All were unhurt, but it's hassle their teams don't need with qualifying imminent.
Dani Pedrosa is currently fastest ahead of Marc Marquez.
MotoGP - Mugello: Smith and Bautista are already back out again, with Smith on the same Tech 3 Yamaha successfully dusted down.
Bautista's rear-mounted on-board camera is a bit of a giveaway that he's recently been off - it gives a great view of the scuffs and asphalt marks on his leathers.
Bautista's rear-mounted on-board camera is a bit of a giveaway that he's recently been off - it gives a great view of the scuffs and asphalt marks on his leathers.
MotoGP - Mugello: There's just 0.065s between Pedrosa and Marquez going into the final minutes of this practice session, with Jorge Lorenzo third and Andrea Iannone flying again for Pramac Ducati in fourth.
Iannone is also top Italian, just ahead of illustrious compatriots Andrea Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi.
Iannone is also top Italian, just ahead of illustrious compatriots Andrea Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi.
Dani Pedrosa
MotoGP - Mugello: Marquez has been tipping Rossi as his big threat for this weekend, Lorenzo has won at Mugello for the last three consecutive years, and Marquez has won everything everywhere so far this year... all of which makes it easy to overlook our current pacesetter Pedrosa.
But the veteran (relatively speaking) on the #26 Honda was quickest in practice three this morning and a look at the championship standings shows that actually it's not been too bad a year for him so far...
Championship standings after five of 18 rounds:
1 Marc Marquez 125
2 Dani Pedrosa 83
3 Valentino Rossi 81
4 Andrea Dovizioso 53
5 Jorge Lorenzo 45
6 Stefan Bradl 39
(25 points for a win)
Full 2014 MotoGP statistics on FORIX
MotoGP - Mugello: Quick lap from Rossi as practice four nears its end, but maybe not as good as he would've hoped. The first two sectors put him on course to depose the Hondas up front, but the lap tailed off and he only went to fourth.
Checkered flag
MotoGP - Mugello - Practice four results:
1 Pedrosa 1m47.940s
2 Marquez +0.065s
3 Lorenzo +0.166s
4 Rossi +0.186s
5 Iannone +0.211s
6 Dovizioso +0.373s
7 A Espargaro +0.426s
8 P Espargarp +0.631s
9 Bradl +0.759s
10 Crutchlow +0.820s
1 Pedrosa 1m47.940s
2 Marquez +0.065s
3 Lorenzo +0.166s
4 Rossi +0.186s
5 Iannone +0.211s
6 Dovizioso +0.373s
7 A Espargaro +0.426s
8 P Espargarp +0.631s
9 Bradl +0.759s
10 Crutchlow +0.820s
MotoGP - Mugello: A very quick pause now before Q1 in which everyone outside the top 10 in combined practice times fights for two spots in Q2.
Among the crowd today is Ferrari Formula 1 star Fernando Alonso, currently hanging out with MotoGP commercial chief Carmelo Ezpeleta.
Among the crowd today is Ferrari Formula 1 star Fernando Alonso, currently hanging out with MotoGP commercial chief Carmelo Ezpeleta.
IndyCar - Detroit: After a month of focusing on 220mph+ speeds at Indianapolis, the IndyCar field are braking and turning right again on the streets of Detroit.
First qualifying is just under half an hour away, and if you think that's a bit early... it is. But with two IndyCar races and a United SportsCar round plus supports to fit in, it's a packed timetable on Belle Isle.
Here's how the IndyCar battle is shaping up after Ryan Hunter-Reay's lucractive (in money, prestige AND points terms) Indy 500 win:
Championship standings after five of 18 rounds:
1 Ryan Hunter-Reay 274
2 Will Power 234
3 Helio Castroneves 220
4 Simon Pagenaud 211
5 Marco Andretti 192
6 Carlos Munoz 160
(50 points for a win plus bonuses)
Full 2014 IndyCar data on FORIX
And here's what happened yesterday, as man of the moment Hunter-Reay topped the morning before Pagenaud led the afternoon session.
First qualifying is just under half an hour away, and if you think that's a bit early... it is. But with two IndyCar races and a United SportsCar round plus supports to fit in, it's a packed timetable on Belle Isle.
Here's how the IndyCar battle is shaping up after Ryan Hunter-Reay's lucractive (in money, prestige AND points terms) Indy 500 win:
Championship standings after five of 18 rounds:
1 Ryan Hunter-Reay 274
2 Will Power 234
3 Helio Castroneves 220
4 Simon Pagenaud 211
5 Marco Andretti 192
6 Carlos Munoz 160
(50 points for a win plus bonuses)
Full 2014 IndyCar data on FORIX
And here's what happened yesterday, as man of the moment Hunter-Reay topped the morning before Pagenaud led the afternoon session.
MotoGP - Mugello: Q1 is in progress. Big names fighting to avoid early embarrassment in this session include Alvaro Bautista and Aleix Espargaro.
Bautista is currently second to early pacesetter Yonny Hernandez, while Espargaro is yet to set a time after his practice four crash, though he is on an out-lap.
Hernandez is one of two Ducatis stuck in this session, along with factory wildcard Michele Pirro.
Bautista is currently second to early pacesetter Yonny Hernandez, while Espargaro is yet to set a time after his practice four crash, though he is on an out-lap.
Hernandez is one of two Ducatis stuck in this session, along with factory wildcard Michele Pirro.
MotoGP - Mugello: Espargaro's first lap only puts him third behind Hernandez and Bautista.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Mugello: Now Espargaro gets going and takes the Q1 top spot, with Bautista second, 0.078s behind. Over to Hernandez to respond.
Breaking news
MotoGP - Mugello: Only 13 bikes in this session rather than the usual 14, as Nicky Hayden admitted defeat this morning and withdrew from the event as his wrist pain continues.
He'll have surgery on the old wound next week, and in the meantime his Aspar Honda sits idle. Team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama is currently seventh in this session.
He'll have surgery on the old wound next week, and in the meantime his Aspar Honda sits idle. Team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama is currently seventh in this session.
MotoGP - Mugello: It could've been only 12 bikes in Q1, but Ioda managed to rustle up a stand-in rider in the shape of World Superbike man Michel Fabrizio.
Fabrizio was only brought in this morning, and is making his first MotoGP appearance since August 2009, when he replaced Mika Kallio at Pramac Ducati (pictured) following the Finn's call to stand in for the unwell Casey Stoner in the factory squad.
Fabrizio's Brno 2009 one-off proved unsuccessful, and it was then-250cc rider Espargaro who was brought in by Pramac for the rest of Kallio's absence.
It's been a nightmare month for Ioda after regular rider Danilo Petrucci injured his arm in the Jerez warm-up. Planned replacement Luca Scassa damaged his leg in a testing crash before Le Mans, and then Petrucci fell short unexpectedly in his race to be fit for this weekend.
Michel Fabrizio
Fabrizio was only brought in this morning, and is making his first MotoGP appearance since August 2009, when he replaced Mika Kallio at Pramac Ducati (pictured) following the Finn's call to stand in for the unwell Casey Stoner in the factory squad.
Fabrizio's Brno 2009 one-off proved unsuccessful, and it was then-250cc rider Espargaro who was brought in by Pramac for the rest of Kallio's absence.
It's been a nightmare month for Ioda after regular rider Danilo Petrucci injured his arm in the Jerez warm-up. Planned replacement Luca Scassa damaged his leg in a testing crash before Le Mans, and then Petrucci fell short unexpectedly in his race to be fit for this weekend.
MotoGP - Mugello: Bautista and Hernandez are both improving, but Espargaro is sat in the garage, having thought he was safely through...
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Mugello: Bautista takes the Q1 top spot away from Espargaro but Hernandez is only third by the end of his lap.
MotoGP - Mugello: A few nerve-jangles for Espargaro and Forward as Pirro puts in a better lap, but it's only fifth for the Italian, so Bautista and Espargaro are safely through to Q2.
Sometimes Q1 is a time for pitlane celebrations as it thrusts an underdog into the Q2 limelight. Sometimes it's just a case of people who've made a mess of practice going 'phew!' because they've salvaged the Q2 spot they should've always had. Today is one of the latter.
Sometimes Q1 is a time for pitlane celebrations as it thrusts an underdog into the Q2 limelight. Sometimes it's just a case of people who've made a mess of practice going 'phew!' because they've salvaged the Q2 spot they should've always had. Today is one of the latter.
Checkered flag
MotoGP - Mugello - Q1 results:
1 Alvaro Bautista
2 Aleix Espargaro
------------------
3 Yonny Hernandez
4 Scott Redding
5 Michele Pirro
6 Karel Abraham
7 Hiroshi Aoyama
8 Colin Edwards
9 Hector Barbera
10 Michael Laverty
Fabrizio was slowest, 4.8s off the pace, but fair enough, the bloke's even less well-prepared for this than AUTOSPORT assistant editor SCOTT MITCHELL is for his car racing debut at Silverstone this afternoon (more of that later).
1 Alvaro Bautista
2 Aleix Espargaro
------------------
3 Yonny Hernandez
4 Scott Redding
5 Michele Pirro
6 Karel Abraham
7 Hiroshi Aoyama
8 Colin Edwards
9 Hector Barbera
10 Michael Laverty
Fabrizio was slowest, 4.8s off the pace, but fair enough, the bloke's even less well-prepared for this than AUTOSPORT assistant editor SCOTT MITCHELL is for his car racing debut at Silverstone this afternoon (more of that later).
MotoGP - Mugello: Q2 is three minutes away. So far in 2014 it's five grands prix and five poles for Marquez...
Green flag
MotoGP - Mugello: Few stats to bear in mind for Q2's Ducati contingent on the team's all-important home ground... Dovizioso is chasing a second straight front row start after Le Mans, Crutchlow hasn't yet qualified higher than seventh on a Ducati, and Iannone's previous MotoGP career best grid slot is eighth.
The green light is on and we've got 15 minutes to decide the top 12 grid positions.
The green light is on and we've got 15 minutes to decide the top 12 grid positions.
IndyCar - Detroit: The drivers are being strapped in for the first of this weekend's two qualifying sessions. Going out in this first group: Simon Pagenaud, Helio Castroneves, Ryan Hunte-Reay, Takuma Sato, Ryan Briscoe, Tony Kanaan, Sebastian Saavedra, Justin Wilson, Jack Hawksworth, Juan Pablo Montoya and Sebastien Bourdais.
MotoGP - Mugello: Rossi admits himself that qualifying isn't his strength (he's got a mere 49 poles compared to his 80 wins), and he hasn't topped a grid since Le Mans 2010, just over four years ago.
So if he doesn't fly in the next quarter of an hour, that doesn't mean he's not a contender for tomorrow.
So if he doesn't fly in the next quarter of an hour, that doesn't mean he's not a contender for tomorrow.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Mugello: Lorenzo goes top early with a 1m47.605s, still waiting for the Hondas.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Mugello: Now Marquez deposes Lorenzo with a 1m47.438s, 0.167s up on the Yamaha.
Pedrosa is only 10th with his first lap.
Pedrosa is only 10th with his first lap.
Green flag
Simon Pagenaud
IndyCar - Detroit: The green flag waves, and Pagenaud - carrying a rather cool orange and black livery this weekend - leads the queue out of pitlane.
MotoGP - Mugello: Iannone jumps to second ahead of Lorenzo, using the soft tyre on that 'non-Factory' Ducati well.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Mugello: Marquez improves to 1m47.270s on his next lap, putting him on pole by 0.180s for now as everyone pits to prepare for their next shots.
Pedrosa has improved, but only to sixth.
Pedrosa has improved, but only to sixth.
MotoGP - Mugello: As has become his habit of late, Marquez is now going to hop onto his second bike for his next attempt.
MotoGP - Mugello: Here's the Q2 order with six minutes left and everyone having completed their first runs:
1 Marquez; 2 Iannone; 3 Lorenzo; 4 P Espargaro; 5 Rossi; 6 Pedrosa; 7 Smith; 8 Crutchlow; 9 Dovizioso; 10 Bradl; 11 A Espargaro; 12 Bautista.
1 Marquez; 2 Iannone; 3 Lorenzo; 4 P Espargaro; 5 Rossi; 6 Pedrosa; 7 Smith; 8 Crutchlow; 9 Dovizioso; 10 Bradl; 11 A Espargaro; 12 Bautista.
IndyCar - Detroit: Holy ... Pagenaud just went through a right-hander with the car pretty much at a 45-degree angle to the direction of the track, and bouncing like mad over the bumps to boot. How he kept it off the wall will forever remain a mystery - if his right-rear missed it, it can't have been by more than an inch. He pits for a set of new tyres and, quite possibly a set of new undergarments as well.
Formula Renault Eurocup - Spa: On the Formula Renault 3.5 support bill in Belgium today, McLaren F1 junior Nyck de Vries has suffered his first defeat of the season in the FR Eurocup.
De Vries led the field away from pole, but he was swallowed up by three cars on the run to Les Combes, and could only battle back to second behind winner Dennis Olsen.
The FR3.5 cars are in action in just over half an hour, with Red Bull juniors Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly sharing the front row for DAMS and Arden.
De Vries led the field away from pole, but he was swallowed up by three cars on the run to Les Combes, and could only battle back to second behind winner Dennis Olsen.
The FR3.5 cars are in action in just over half an hour, with Red Bull juniors Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly sharing the front row for DAMS and Arden.
MotoGP - Mugello: Iannone sets the best sector one time so far, and Lorenzo is improving too.
MotoGP - Mugello: Lorenzo improves but can't knock Iannone out of second.
And now Marquez is blitzing the sector times again on his next run.
And now Marquez is blitzing the sector times again on his next run.
IndyCar - Detroit: Almost everyone started the session on the harder black tyres, although about half have now switched to the softer reds. Castroneves is P1 with a 1m17.2597s.
MotoGP - Mugello: Crutchlow jumps from eighth to fifth, that would be his best Ducati qualifying yet.
Now Smith is setting the best sector one time of anyone so far. He's currently eighth.
Now Smith is setting the best sector one time of anyone so far. He's currently eighth.
MotoGP - Mugello: Smith's lap fades, but it's still enough to bring him up to sixth behind fellow Brit Crutchlow.
IndyCar - Detroit: OK, we could do without the timing screen doing weird things here. Kanaan was briefly shown as P1, although the system has now decided that it was lying and restored Castroneves to P1.
MotoGP - Mugello: Rossi and Pedrosa are only seventh and eighth. The Yamaha is now improving but the Honda isn't.
Checkered flag
MotoGP - Mugello: The chequered flag is out, and Marquez isn't improving on his early 1m47.270s. In fact everyone up front is pretty static, so all eyes on the likes of Rossi and Pedrosa further back.
By: Matt Beer, Andrew van Leeuwen, Mark Glendenning, Glenn Freeman, Sam Smith, Dan Cross, Gary Watkins, AUTOSPORT staff, Charles Bradley
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