Rally Germany, Belgian GP supports
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BTCC - Knockhill: Also worth noting that Turkington will not get a championship point for being fastest in qualifying. The point goes to the driver who starts from pole position, which should be Sam Tordoff, who was very pleased with the lap that put him ahead of all the Hondas and MG team-mate Jason Plato.
Green flag
GP3 - Spa: The race restarts with two laps remaining, with Stoneman leading Zamparelli, Yelloly and Mardenborough in an all-British top-four. Cool Britannia!
Quote
BTCC - Knockhill: After being denied a sensational pole thanks to a penalty, Colin Turkington has to make some difficult decisions in tomorrow's races from row five.
“I’m not in the position I can cruise round and get points," the championship leader told AUTOSPORT. "Attack-driving but limited risk. It’s my job now to make the most of it."
AUTOSPORT also reckons WSR may take a chance and run the soft Dunlop tyre earlier in the weekend than the normal race three tactic.
“The car is fast enough to win tomorrow, but passing the other top guys is never easy," added Turkington. "The car’s got pace, but you can’t use the pace if you can’t overtake.”
“I’m not in the position I can cruise round and get points," the championship leader told AUTOSPORT. "Attack-driving but limited risk. It’s my job now to make the most of it."
AUTOSPORT also reckons WSR may take a chance and run the soft Dunlop tyre earlier in the weekend than the normal race three tactic.
“The car is fast enough to win tomorrow, but passing the other top guys is never easy," added Turkington. "The car’s got pace, but you can’t use the pace if you can’t overtake.”
Breaking news
Raffaele Marciello
GP2 - Spa: While the safety car picks up the GP3 field, here's the full report and results from its GP2 big brother's earlier race - in which Ferrari defeated McLaren as Raffaele Marciello overcame Stoffel Vandoorne to earn a spectacular maiden win:
Spa GP2 race one report
GP3 - Spa: Race order is now Stoneman, Zamparelli, Yelloly, Mardenborough, Varhaug, Fontana, Stanaway and Lynn.
Yellow flag
GP3 - Spa: The safety car is out. Tuscher has thrown away a stick-on victory here - and done Lynn a massive favour too.
He straightlined Eau Rouge, caught the wet patches on the run-off and the car looped around on him. He spun backwards on to the track again, and Stoneman - the new leader - just missed him.
The car stalled, and he is out. Fortunately nobody hit him.
He straightlined Eau Rouge, caught the wet patches on the run-off and the car looped around on him. He spun backwards on to the track again, and Stoneman - the new leader - just missed him.
The car stalled, and he is out. Fortunately nobody hit him.
Crash
GP3 - Spa: Leader Tuscher has spun and is sitting in the middle of the track at Raidillon!
GP3 - Spa: Lynn's 29-point lead in the championship could take a battering from Stanaway this weekend. The Kiwi is currently on course to not only beat him today, but take reversed-grid pole for tomorrow, a race that Lynn would start ninth.
GP3 - Spa: At half distance, Tuscher leads Stoneman by 2.9s.
Zamparelli is third, ahead of Yelloly, Mardenborough, Varhaug and Fontana. They all started on slicks, the first of the pitters is Stanaway in eighth, who got ahead of Lynn somewhere.
Of the early leaders, Bernstorff is 11th, Ghiotto is 14th.
Zamparelli is third, ahead of Yelloly, Mardenborough, Varhaug and Fontana. They all started on slicks, the first of the pitters is Stanaway in eighth, who got ahead of Lynn somewhere.
Of the early leaders, Bernstorff is 11th, Ghiotto is 14th.
GP3 - Spa: The inevitable happens. Ghiotto gives up the lead at Rivage as Tuscher steams past him.
Replays showed that Visoiu attacked the Shell barriers at the Bus Stop with all the venom of a Greenpeace protester.
Replays showed that Visoiu attacked the Shell barriers at the Bus Stop with all the venom of a Greenpeace protester.
Yellow flag
GP3 - Spa: Visoiu is in the wall at the Bus Stop.
GP3 - Spa: Tuscher carves his way into the top three. Stoneman is the next-best-placed car on slicks.
GP3 - Spa: Tuscher passes Urrutia for fifth. Just four more wet-shod cars between him and victory, and nine laps to do it.
GP3 - Spa: Ghiotto leads by 5s over Ceccon. But the slick-shod cars are beginning to set some quick times now, so we need to look to Tuscher in P6 as the favourite for victory today.
Checkered flag
WRC - Germany:
SS14 times:
1 Latvala 24m47.8s
2 Meeke +2.6s
3 Neuville +6.0s
4 Sordo +12.4s
5 Ostberg +14.0s
6 Hirvonen +14.4s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Latvala
2 Meeke +56.6s
3 Neuville +1m00.9s
4 Sordo +1m26.8s
5 Mikkelsen +1m37.0s
6 Hirvonen +1m53.2s
SS14 times:
1 Latvala 24m47.8s
2 Meeke +2.6s
3 Neuville +6.0s
4 Sordo +12.4s
5 Ostberg +14.0s
6 Hirvonen +14.4s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Latvala
2 Meeke +56.6s
3 Neuville +1m00.9s
4 Sordo +1m26.8s
5 Mikkelsen +1m37.0s
6 Hirvonen +1m53.2s
Stopwatch
WRC - Germany: Latvala takes the stage win with 24m47.8s to lead overnight.
Meeke, meanwhile, managed to extend his lead over Neuville in their fight for second to 4.3s
"Neuville was very fast all day," said Meeke. "I'm happy with my time here and the Citroen worked fantastic here in Baumholder.
"If he beats me tomorrow, it's not a big drama."
Meeke, meanwhile, managed to extend his lead over Neuville in their fight for second to 4.3s
"Neuville was very fast all day," said Meeke. "I'm happy with my time here and the Citroen worked fantastic here in Baumholder.
"If he beats me tomorrow, it's not a big drama."
Breaking news
Tomas Enge crash
BSS - Slovakia: GARY WATKINS' comprehensive report on the Blancpain Sprint Series qualifying race at the Slovakia Ring is now available.
Worth a read if you need a recap on why it took over two hours and two red flags to complete, and for how Tomas Enge ended up doing this...
Slovakia Ring Blancpain Sprint qualifying race report
GP3 - Spa: Bernstorff leads from Ghiotto, Kujala, returnee Ceccon, Mason and Balthasar. But then the leader pits!
WRC - Germany: Mikkelsen and Sordo are next to finish the stage and their times are 25m03.8s and 25m00.2s respectively.
Lights out
GP3 - Spa: Poleman Ghiotto doesn't make a great start, so Bernstorff leads. Slick-shod Niederhauser ploughs into Eriksson at La Source. That was just plain daft.
Title contenders Stanaway and Lynn pit, to take slick tyres.
Title contenders Stanaway and Lynn pit, to take slick tyres.
Green flag
GP3 - Spa: This delay has allowed the track to dry even more. The wets will be the order of the day in the early stages, but if you can survive the pain on slicks early on, there are riches to be found later.
Niederhauser is the top slick-starter in eighth, although he's been promoted by Kirchhofer's red-faced exit.
Cars are on the green-flag lap now.
Niederhauser is the top slick-starter in eighth, although he's been promoted by Kirchhofer's red-faced exit.
Cars are on the green-flag lap now.
Stopwatch
WRC - Germany: Neuville is the fastest man through Panzerplatte, his time being 24m53.8s. He spotted team-mate Bouffier on the stage and said: "I saw the car was off and they seemed OK."
WRC - Germany: Top effort by Evans whose time is 25m04.5s. Hirvonen posts a quicker time, however - 25m02.2s. That should mean the gap between the pair in their battle for sixth is now 4.9s.
GP3 - Spa: Trident team asks Ghiotto what the hack he was doing there not lining up in his grid slot. It's his first day at school, lads, give him a break.
GP3 - Spa: We shall be getting a new formation lap, but the teams have now been released back onto the grid.
Anyone fancy a quick tyre change?
Anyone fancy a quick tyre change?
GP3 - Spa: Poleman Ghiotto has randomly lined-up beyond the startline. Don't know what he was thinking there!
GP3 - Spa: The start is delayed while Kirchhofer's pride is recovered.
Poor lad is sat on the banking with his head in his hands.
Poor lad is sat on the banking with his head in his hands.
Stopwatch
WRC - Germany: Ostberg goes quickest with 25m01.8s, some 16.5s faster than Kubica's effort.
Crash
GP3 - Spa: Kirchhofer, who was under investigation for changing to slicks too late on the grid, has embedded his ART machine in the wall on the run towards Eau Rouge.
He hit a river of water while weaving. Doh!
He hit a river of water while weaving. Doh!
Green flag
GP3 - Spa: The GP3 pack is on its warm-up lap, with the front row of debutant Luca Ghiotto and Emil Bernstorff starting on wets. Others are on slicks, however.
Current conditions are damp... but drying.
Current conditions are damp... but drying.
WRC - Germany: Meeke is currently 2.4s up on Neuville at the 5.8-mile mark. Will he be able to maintain that pace until the finish and extend his advantage over his Belgian rival?
Crash
WRC - Germany: Hyundai has reported that Bouffier has gone off at approximately 17 miles into the stage. Crew is reported to be OK.
WRC - Germany: Looks like Bouffier has stopped on the stage.
WRC - Germany: Kubica completes the stage unscathed and does so in 25m18.3s. That's 1.3s slower than his morning effort, although that was in much drier conditions.
WRC - Germany: Good to see nine-time Rally Germany winner Daniel Elena back and competing again in Trier.
But it was petanque (or boules as it's more commonly known) that was the focus of his attention today.
Competing in either form takes balls...
WRC - Germany: So, what makes Panzerplatte so daunting?
Hinkelsteins.
Hinkelsteins are huge kerbstones buried in the ground alongside roads on the Baumholder military area. They are designed to keep errant tanks on the training tracks and if a wayward car decides to take one on there is only going to be one winner.
Few drivers escape an impact with a hinkelstein without suffering immediate retirement.
Hinkelsteins.
Hinkelsteins are huge kerbstones buried in the ground alongside roads on the Baumholder military area. They are designed to keep errant tanks on the training tracks and if a wayward car decides to take one on there is only going to be one winner.
Few drivers escape an impact with a hinkelstein without suffering immediate retirement.
Checkered flag
WRC - Germany:
SS13 times:
1 Latvala 2m04.7s
2 Sordo +0.3s
3 Meeke +0.4s
4 Neuville +0.9s
5 Mikkelsen +1.4s
6 Hirvonen +3.0s
Overall:
1 Latvala
2 Meeke +54.0s
3 Neuville +54.9s
4 Sordo +1m14.4s
5 Mikkelsen +1m21.0s
6 Evans +1m38.8s
SS13 times:
1 Latvala 2m04.7s
2 Sordo +0.3s
3 Meeke +0.4s
4 Neuville +0.9s
5 Mikkelsen +1.4s
6 Hirvonen +3.0s
Overall:
1 Latvala
2 Meeke +54.0s
3 Neuville +54.9s
4 Sordo +1m14.4s
5 Mikkelsen +1m21.0s
6 Evans +1m38.8s
Quote
GP2 - Spa: Winner Marciello says: "It was a really hard race, and I'm really happy to win. After the pitstop I had more grip, I was faster through Eau Rouge, and that helped a lot."
Vandoorne adds: "It's a bit of a disappointment to finish second, but I can't really complain. I led for the majority of the race, but it's good points."
Third-placed Cecotto questions the race director's call to let Vandoorne back past him on lap five. "I'm a victim where I did nothing wrong. But I don't think I had the chance to win, they had completely different pace."
Vandoorne adds: "It's a bit of a disappointment to finish second, but I can't really complain. I led for the majority of the race, but it's good points."
Third-placed Cecotto questions the race director's call to let Vandoorne back past him on lap five. "I'm a victim where I did nothing wrong. But I don't think I had the chance to win, they had completely different pace."
Stopwatch
WRC - Germany: Latvala shows them how to do it by setting the fastest time - 2m04.7s.
And now on to Panzerplatte proper...
And now on to Panzerplatte proper...
WRC - Germany: Top job by Meeke, who takes half a second from Neuville in their fight for second overall. The gap between the duo was 0.4s coming into this stage, but is now 0.8s.
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, AUTOSPORT staff, Gary Watkins, Dan Cross, Charles Bradley, Kevin Turner
Published:
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