Silverstone MotoGP race day
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MotoGP - Silverstone: Smith's troubles elevate Redding to top Brit status and 12th overall. He continues to run just ahead of Crutchlow.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Sad sight for the crowd's patriots as Smith slows his Tech 3 Yamaha from seventh with an apparent mechanical problem.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Pedrosa definitely isn't catching the leaders - instead the gap grows to 3.3s as Rossi and Dovizioso give him relentless hassle.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Approaching half-distance and Lorenzo continues to cling on - 0.301s ahead of Marquez, who he cannot shake off, but who he is expertly holding at bay so far.
MotoGP - Silverstone: No forward progress for Pedrosa yet, he's got Rossi and Dovizioso coming back at him first.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Pedrosa slices past Rossi into third at Brooklands.
So can the Brno winner join Lorenzo and Marquez at the front? He's 2.5s behind.
So can the Brno winner join Lorenzo and Marquez at the front? He's 2.5s behind.
ERC - Zlin: The first few cars have reached the finish of the final stage of Rally Zlin. Quickest so far is Tarabus, 15 seconds faster than DMACK test mule and WRC2 title contender Ott Tanak.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Dovizioso may have lost out to both Rossi and Pedrosa, but they haven't pulled away from him. All three are covering by 0.3s in third to fifth.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Further back, there's an all-British battle for 13th, as Redding fends off Crutchlow.
Camier and Laverty have both lost a little ground after fast starts, they're 18th and 19th.
Camier and Laverty have both lost a little ground after fast starts, they're 18th and 19th.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Is Marquez just biding his time? Sector after sector, the gap between Lorenzo and Marquez stays in the 0.2s-0.3s range.
We're onto lap eight of 20.
We're onto lap eight of 20.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Spectacular racing going on between Smith and Iannone for sixth, with the Espargaros, Bautista, Hernandez and Bradl hovering behind.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Big moment for Dovizioso, but he hangs on ahead of Pedrosa... only briefly though as the Honda now makes it through for fourth.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Lorenzo and Marquez are edging away from Rossi, Dovizioso and Pedrosa. Still no really serious looks at the lead from Marquez.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Rossi throws his Yamaha around the Ducati of Dovizioso to take third in the new(-ish) section.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Rossi looked like he'd taken third from Dovizioso at Copse, but the move didn't quite come off.
Smith passes Espargaro for sixth - can he escape and catch the leaders?
Smith passes Espargaro for sixth - can he escape and catch the leaders?
MotoGP - Silverstone: The Lorenzo, Marquez, Dovizioso, Rossi, Pedrosa top five train has broken away up front, with Espargaro fending off Smith, Iannone, the other Espargaro, Bautista, Hernandez and Redding in the next pack.
MotoGP - Silverstone: On the timing screens, Lorenzo is very, very slightly faster than Marquez, but there's little evidence on track as the Honda lurks 0.2-0.3s behind the Yamaha through every corner.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Order as they begin lap three:
1 Lorenzo
2 Marquez
3 Dovizioso
4 Rossi
5 Pedrosa
6 A Espargaro
7 Smith
8 Iannone
9 Bradl
10 P Espargaro
11 Bautista
12 Hernandez
13 Redding
14 Crutchlow
15 Abraham
16 Camier
17 Aoyama
18 de Angelis
19 Laverty
20 Petrucci
21 Barbera
22 di Meglio
23 Parkes
1 Lorenzo
2 Marquez
3 Dovizioso
4 Rossi
5 Pedrosa
6 A Espargaro
7 Smith
8 Iannone
9 Bradl
10 P Espargaro
11 Bautista
12 Hernandez
13 Redding
14 Crutchlow
15 Abraham
16 Camier
17 Aoyama
18 de Angelis
19 Laverty
20 Petrucci
21 Barbera
22 di Meglio
23 Parkes
MotoGP - Silverstone: Pedrosa is starting to make up for his muted start. He's now passed Smith and Espargaro to run fifth.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Lorenzo is still 0.2s ahead of Marquez out front, with the top 14 bikes running in a train at the moment.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Third place settles down a bit as Dovizioso grabs the spot and leaves the battling to Rossi and Aleix Espargaro.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Dovizioso and Espargaro are still at it through the Loop section and onto the Wellington Straight, with Rossi trying to take advantage too.
Lorenzo is doing his utmost to make a break, he completes lap one 0.2s ahead of Marquez.
Lorenzo is doing his utmost to make a break, he completes lap one 0.2s ahead of Marquez.
MotoGP - Silverstone: Dovizioso and Espargaro nearly clash at Stowe over third place, with Rossi all over them.
Smith has passed Pedrosa for sixth.
Redding and Crutchlow are 13th and 14th.
Smith has passed Pedrosa for sixth.
Redding and Crutchlow are 13th and 14th.
Lights out
MotoGP - Silverstone: Lorenzo nips down the inside into Copse and grabs the lead ahead of Marquez, Espargaro, Dovizioso and Rossi.
MotoGP - Silverstone: The leaders are heading past the spot of Kimi Raikkonen's barrier-mangling antics in last month's F1 race here. The start is moments away...
Green flag
MotoGP - Silverstone: The works Yamahas and Hondas plus Dovizioso have all gone for medium tyres for the race. Top Open man Espargaro has softs.
The parade lap is under way.
The parade lap is under way.
MotoGP - Silverstone: The factory Yamahas were way off the pace on Friday, with Jorge Lorenzo deeply unhappy that Bridgestone had brought the tyres he was so disgruntled about at the start of the year.
Things were better in qualifying, where Lorenzo had more fun on the softer rubber and challenged for pole.
A lot of tyre pondering went on overnight, but with temperatures rising at Silverstone as the race time approaches, it's going to have to be the harder compound that Lorenzo hasn't been enjoying.
That's going to make it tough, but the Yamaha rider is absolutely mighty at Silverstone, where he's won three times in the last four years.
His team-mate Valentino Rossi admits he's never got to grips with this place. He starts sixth today.
Things were better in qualifying, where Lorenzo had more fun on the softer rubber and challenged for pole.
A lot of tyre pondering went on overnight, but with temperatures rising at Silverstone as the race time approaches, it's going to have to be the harder compound that Lorenzo hasn't been enjoying.
That's going to make it tough, but the Yamaha rider is absolutely mighty at Silverstone, where he's won three times in the last four years.
His team-mate Valentino Rossi admits he's never got to grips with this place. He starts sixth today.
Will Power
IndyCar - Fontana: While the fight for the MotoGP title (theoretically) goes on, Will Power finally took his maiden IndyCar crown in last night's season finale at Fontana.
The Australian only finished ninth as Tony Kanaan swept to his first victory as a Chip Ganassi driver, but that was enough as Penske team-mate Helio Castroneves blew his chances with a pitlane infringement penalty.
MARK GLENDENNING's race report is here for your viewing pleasure:
Power claims title, Kanaan wins race
MotoGP - Silverstone: Ducati is flying again, with Dovizioso on the front row for the third race in succession.
That's helped a bit by the team controversially running under the Open class rules, which means softer tyres are available, and that does tend to show when the Desmosedici falls back in the race.
But whatever tyres were thrown at it, the Ducati would've been nowhere near the front row not so long ago, so there's real progress too.
The team is openly admitting that with Crutchlow on his way out and Andrea Iannone coming in, Iannone's Pramac bike is getting some tasty factory parts that Crutchlow's isn't, so the gulf between Dovi and Cal on the grid isn't totally representative.
Only 10th on the grid for Iannone today, he crashed at the end of Q2. Expect aggressive progress when the lights go out.
That's helped a bit by the team controversially running under the Open class rules, which means softer tyres are available, and that does tend to show when the Desmosedici falls back in the race.
But whatever tyres were thrown at it, the Ducati would've been nowhere near the front row not so long ago, so there's real progress too.
The team is openly admitting that with Crutchlow on his way out and Andrea Iannone coming in, Iannone's Pramac bike is getting some tasty factory parts that Crutchlow's isn't, so the gulf between Dovi and Cal on the grid isn't totally representative.
Only 10th on the grid for Iannone today, he crashed at the end of Q2. Expect aggressive progress when the lights go out.
ERC - Zlin: Lappi was unfortunate to take to Stage 14 just as it had been neutralised because of Odlozilik's accident.
The championship leader was three minutes slower than pacesetter Tarabus through the stage, leaving his hopes of scoring a decent haul of sorely-needed bonus points in tatters.
The only good news for the Finn is that Wiegand can't retake the points lead without winning the rally - and that isn't going to happen unless disaster strikes for runaway leader Pech on the last stage.
The championship leader was three minutes slower than pacesetter Tarabus through the stage, leaving his hopes of scoring a decent haul of sorely-needed bonus points in tatters.
The only good news for the Finn is that Wiegand can't retake the points lead without winning the rally - and that isn't going to happen unless disaster strikes for runaway leader Pech on the last stage.
MotoGP - Silverstone: That's the Brit pack, but realistically, none of them will be winning today.
The hot favourite is, naturally, Marc Marquez.
The end of his winning streak at Brno a fortnight ago was a little bizarre. He wasn't pipped on the line, he didn't have a disaster, he just...wasn't especially quick, and finished fourth.
He's certainly been quick this weekend: fastest in all four practice sessions, qualifying and the warm-up.
This is how the top end of the grid lines up:
1 Marc Marquez
2 Andrea Dovizioso
3 Jorge Lorenzo
4 Aleix Espargaro
5 Dani Pedrosa
6 Valentino Rossi
7 Bradley Smith
8 Pol Espargaro
9 Stefan Bradl
10 Andrea Iannone
The hot favourite is, naturally, Marc Marquez.
The end of his winning streak at Brno a fortnight ago was a little bizarre. He wasn't pipped on the line, he didn't have a disaster, he just...wasn't especially quick, and finished fourth.
He's certainly been quick this weekend: fastest in all four practice sessions, qualifying and the warm-up.
This is how the top end of the grid lines up:
1 Marc Marquez
2 Andrea Dovizioso
3 Jorge Lorenzo
4 Aleix Espargaro
5 Dani Pedrosa
6 Valentino Rossi
7 Bradley Smith
8 Pol Espargaro
9 Stefan Bradl
10 Andrea Iannone
Scott Redding
Silverstone - MotoGP: The main men that the home crowd are watching are Cal Crutchlow, Scott Redding and Bradley Smith.
With Crutchlow's unhappy Ducati season unfolding as it is, he's been mischievously pouring pressure onto Smith all weekend - repeatedly telling his former Tech 3 team-mate that he's the top Brit and Crutchlow is just a sideshow...
It's certainly that way on the grid, where Smith starts seventh and Crutchlow 15th.
But we suspect the man pulling off some home heroics today will be Scott Redding.
With doubts over his current team Gresini's funding for 2015, Redding is in huge demand in the rider market, and rightly so.
On the underpowered Production-spec Honda, he topped Q1 yesterday and equalled his MotoGP career-best of 11th on the grid - having been seventh after everyone's first Q2 runs.
And Redding has an excellent record at home. In 2008 he made history in 125cc by winning at a wet Donington Park as a 15-year-old rookie, in 2012 he defeated Marc Marquez in a stunning battle for second in Moto2 here at Silverstone, and last year his win over Pol Espargaro in Moto2 was as extraordinarily hard-fought as Lorenzo's over Marquez in the main event.
ERC - Zlin: Odlozilik's off means that there is a change for fifth in the overall standings with one stage remaining:
1) Pech 2h04m51.8s
2) Kostka +58.6s
3) Wiegand +1m02.9s
4) Kajetanowicz +1m18.6s
5) Orsak +1m24.8s
1) Pech 2h04m51.8s
2) Kostka +58.6s
3) Wiegand +1m02.9s
4) Kajetanowicz +1m18.6s
5) Orsak +1m24.8s
ERC - Zlin: Wiegand got held up by Robert Consani, who had to stop during that stage to solve a suspected engine problem, but the German still only lost one second to Kostka in the battle for second despite that mishap.
Pech meanwhile sees his advantage reduced by just a tenth of a second as he completes the penultimate stage.
Pech meanwhile sees his advantage reduced by just a tenth of a second as he completes the penultimate stage.
Silverstone - MotoGP: When Silverstone first won MotoGP back from Donington in 2010, there were no British riders on the top-class grid.
This year there are five for the home crowd to cheer.
There's not a huge amount Michael Laverty can do with the small Paul Bird team, although a point would be a great result in their circumstances. He starts 20th.
Leon Camier is in at Aspar again, standing in for Nicky Hayden as the American's prolonged recovery from his wrist surgery continues. Will Camier be around at Misano again in a fortnight...? He may well be. If not, he starts his MotoGP finale (for now) from 18th.
This year there are five for the home crowd to cheer.
There's not a huge amount Michael Laverty can do with the small Paul Bird team, although a point would be a great result in their circumstances. He starts 20th.
Leon Camier is in at Aspar again, standing in for Nicky Hayden as the American's prolonged recovery from his wrist surgery continues. Will Camier be around at Misano again in a fortnight...? He may well be. If not, he starts his MotoGP finale (for now) from 18th.
ERC - Zlin: It seems that fifth place runner Roman Odlozilik has had an off in this stage, which would elevate Orsak into that position in the overall standings.
ERC - Zlin: The first few cars have made it to the end of stage 14. Tarabus is quickest of those so far, just 0.1s clear of Jaroslav Orsak.
The main points of interest however will be whether Wiegand can retake second place from Kostka, and how Lappi fares in his quest to bag himself some bonus points.
The main points of interest however will be whether Wiegand can retake second place from Kostka, and how Lappi fares in his quest to bag himself some bonus points.
Trophy
Moto2 - Silverstone: On the podium now, ex-Formula 1 racer and current British Racing Drivers' Club president Derek Warwick has been congratulating Rabat, Kallio and Vinales on that epic race.
MotoGP - Silverstone: The quality of racing in that Moto2 curtain-raiser bodes very well for the rest of the day.
We saw with Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez's astonishing battle for the MotoGP win here last year that Silverstone's layout can be pretty spectacular for bikes, but will it be the last time we're here?
The yet-to-be-built Circuit of Wales takes over British MotoGP rights after this event, but that slight hitch of it currently not existing means a deal must be made with Silverstone or Donington Park to host the 2015 grand prix on its behalf.
We saw with Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez's astonishing battle for the MotoGP win here last year that Silverstone's layout can be pretty spectacular for bikes, but will it be the last time we're here?
The yet-to-be-built Circuit of Wales takes over British MotoGP rights after this event, but that slight hitch of it currently not existing means a deal must be made with Silverstone or Donington Park to host the 2015 grand prix on its behalf.
ERC - Zlin: Here are the leading positions with just two stages to go:
1) Pech 1h54m43.4s
2) Kostka +58.7s
3) Wiegand +1m02.0s
4) Kajetanowicz +1m22.6s
5) Odlozilik +1m26.3s
1) Pech 1h54m43.4s
2) Kostka +58.7s
3) Wiegand +1m02.0s
4) Kajetanowicz +1m22.6s
5) Odlozilik +1m26.3s
By: Matt Beer, AUTOSPORT staff
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