WRC Italy, Barcelona MotoGP
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WRC - Italy: Latvala is now quickest by a mere tenth over Evans. That's less exciting than it would be if they weren't three minutes apart in fifth and sixth.
Ostberg is comfortably quickest at the mid-stage split now. If Neuville did have any hopes of catching the Citroen for third, they're being efficiently dashed.
Ostberg is comfortably quickest at the mid-stage split now. If Neuville did have any hopes of catching the Citroen for third, they're being efficiently dashed.
FR3.5 - Hungaroring: The Tech 1 car is being craned onto a flat-bed truck with its front-right wheel hanging off.
The session is due to restart in four minutes.
The session is due to restart in four minutes.
Red flag
FR3.5 - Hungaroring: Roy Nissany's Tech 1 car has stopped between Turn 6 and 7, bringing out the red flag.
Nissany, who grew up in Hungary, did a solid job finishing eighth in race one, and was lying in 10th in this morning's session.
However, he will now have his best time deleted for causing the stoppage.
Nissany, who grew up in Hungary, did a solid job finishing eighth in race one, and was lying in 10th in this morning's session.
However, he will now have his best time deleted for causing the stoppage.
Stopwatch
WRC - Italy: Sordo pips Meeke by a couple of seconds and Tanak is also a bit slower, so the Spaniard wins the 'fastest of the blokes grumpily cruising along under Rally 2' mini-contest that no one cares about winning.
Some cars actually in the overall top 10 are next up.
Some cars actually in the overall top 10 are next up.
Dani Sordo, Hyundai, WRC Italy 2015
Green flag
FR3.5 - Hungaroring: The second qualifying session of the weekend for this afternoon's FR3.5 race is under way.
Air temperature is already at 26 degrees.
Oliver Rowland is aiming to repeat his Saturday pole and is currently fastest from Carlin's Tom Dillmann.
Air temperature is already at 26 degrees.
Oliver Rowland is aiming to repeat his Saturday pole and is currently fastest from Carlin's Tom Dillmann.
Stopwatch
WRC - Italy: Meeke comes in comfortably quickest, 7s up on Mikkelsen.
Whereas Mikkelsen's pinning his hopes on the powerstage, Meeke thinks that's pointless as his memory from 2014 is that the powerstage keeps cleaning as the field goes through so no one running early on the road has a hope of the extra points.
Meeke's strategy for Sunday: "Just driving."
Whereas Mikkelsen's pinning his hopes on the powerstage, Meeke thinks that's pointless as his memory from 2014 is that the powerstage keeps cleaning as the field goes through so no one running early on the road has a hope of the extra points.
Meeke's strategy for Sunday: "Just driving."
WRC - Italy: With the closest gap among the leaders being the 31.4s between Ostberg and Neuville for third, this isn't going to be a morning of tensely watching splits for ultra-tight battles.
Instead it's a day of nervously watching the tracking system to make sure nothing else goes wrong - especially for Paddon.
Mikkelsen is fastest so far by 5s over Kubica, whose battered car is now pulling to one side and also stalled. Mikkelsen reckons he's rarely driven so slowly in his career - like many others he's saving every bit of tyre grip he can for the powerstage and the potential bonus points.
Instead it's a day of nervously watching the tracking system to make sure nothing else goes wrong - especially for Paddon.
Mikkelsen is fastest so far by 5s over Kubica, whose battered car is now pulling to one side and also stalled. Mikkelsen reckons he's rarely driven so slowly in his career - like many others he's saving every bit of tyre grip he can for the powerstage and the potential bonus points.
WRC - Italy: After yesterday's variety from sub-mile blasts to 26-mile monsters, it's a very uniform Sunday morning: two seven-mile stages, each run twice.
Here's Evans's co-driver Dan Barritt's view of our first one:
"This stage has quite a sandy base and it's not an easy one to follow at all.
"The road just doesn't seem very natural at all.
"We follow the side of the hill with roads going off all over the place. Not such an easy one at all."
Here's Evans's co-driver Dan Barritt's view of our first one:
"This stage has quite a sandy base and it's not an easy one to follow at all.
"The road just doesn't seem very natural at all.
"We follow the side of the hill with roads going off all over the place. Not such an easy one at all."
WRC - Italy: This is how the WRC survivors stand:
1 Ogier
2 Paddon +2m13.6s
3 Ostberg +3m25.6s
4 Neuville +3m57.0s
5 Evans +5m15.5s
6 Latvala +8m08.6s
11 Al Qassimi +17m07.4s
16 Tanak +21m55.2s
24 Sordo +52m54.0s
26 Bertelli +59m39.7s
27 Meeke +1h03m51.7s
36 Kubica +1h14m35.2s
43 Mikkelsen +1h36m17.0s
And that rundown tells you all you need to know about how punishing the revamped Sardinia route has turned out to be.
1 Ogier
2 Paddon +2m13.6s
3 Ostberg +3m25.6s
4 Neuville +3m57.0s
5 Evans +5m15.5s
6 Latvala +8m08.6s
11 Al Qassimi +17m07.4s
16 Tanak +21m55.2s
24 Sordo +52m54.0s
26 Bertelli +59m39.7s
27 Meeke +1h03m51.7s
36 Kubica +1h14m35.2s
43 Mikkelsen +1h36m17.0s
And that rundown tells you all you need to know about how punishing the revamped Sardinia route has turned out to be.
Lights out
WRC - Italy: Good morning and welcome back to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live, where the run to the finish of Rally Italy is commencing.
It's the seven-mile Olmedo Monte Baranta stage to begin, and it starts with a gaggle of Rally 2 runners (Robert Kubica, Andreas Mikkelsen, Kris Meeke, Lorenzo Bertelli, Dani Sordo and Ott Tanak) and THEN we get to the handful of World Rally Car drivers left in the top 10.
It's the seven-mile Olmedo Monte Baranta stage to begin, and it starts with a gaggle of Rally 2 runners (Robert Kubica, Andreas Mikkelsen, Kris Meeke, Lorenzo Bertelli, Dani Sordo and Ott Tanak) and THEN we get to the handful of World Rally Car drivers left in the top 10.
AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live is going to take a nap now, but you can follow the Le Mans 24 Hours all night on our sister service live from the French classic.
We'll be back from 7am tomorrow for the final stages of Rally Italy, the Barcelona MotoGP race day and maybe even another Formula Renault 3.5 thriller. See you then.
We'll be back from 7am tomorrow for the final stages of Rally Italy, the Barcelona MotoGP race day and maybe even another Formula Renault 3.5 thriller. See you then.
Trophy
NASCAR - Michigan: Though the Sprint Cup race isn't until tomorrow afternoon, several of the top series' stars have been in action in the supporting Xfinity round today - and the result was pretty significant.
Kyle Busch overtook Chase Elliott in the closing laps to secure his first victory of any kind since breaking his leg in the second tier championship at Daytona in February.
Kyle Busch overtook Chase Elliott in the closing laps to secure his first victory of any kind since breaking his leg in the second tier championship at Daytona in February.
Kyle Busch wins Michigan NASCAR Xfinity 2015
Checkered flag
IndyCar - Toronto: And there's the chequered flag. Will Power is on pole for tomorrow's race with a fastest lap of 59.4280s; Pagenaud is alongside him on the front row; Montoya makes it a Penske 1-2-3.
Rounding out the top six are Dixon, Bourdais and Filippi.
Rounding out the top six are Dixon, Bourdais and Filippi.
IndyCar - Toronto: Montoya parked early, and it looks like it might cost him - Power and Pagenaud have both cleared him.
IndyCar - Toronto: And with just under three minutes to go, the CFH crew releases Filippi from pitlane. He has just enough time for an installation lap and a couple of flyers.
Montoya is still on provisional pole with a 59.8353s. Power is just over 0.1s slower in P2; Pagenaud is in P3.
Montoya is still on provisional pole with a 59.8353s. Power is just over 0.1s slower in P2; Pagenaud is in P3.
IndyCar - Toronto: Montoya is the early leader, but Power is just 0.02s off his time, and there are still five minutes on the clock. Everyone has been out to do a banker lap with the exception of Filippi.
IndyCar - Toronto: You call that a delay? The cars are on track now.
IndyCar - Toronto: We're hearing that the Fast Six will be slightly delayed because a couple of sections of kerbing have come loose.
IndyCar - Toronto:
So progressing to the Fast Six are:
Montoya
Pagenaud
Power
Bourdais
Dixon
Filippi
Those who mised out:
Castroneves
Sato
Kanaan
Rahal
Newgarden
Jakes
Whatever happens in the shootout for pole, Chevrolet has the first three rows locked down.
So progressing to the Fast Six are:
Montoya
Pagenaud
Power
Bourdais
Dixon
Filippi
Those who mised out:
Castroneves
Sato
Kanaan
Rahal
Newgarden
Jakes
Whatever happens in the shootout for pole, Chevrolet has the first three rows locked down.
IndyCar - Toronto: Spin for Bourdais, but he gathers it up and continues on.
The current top six: Montoya, Pagenaud, Power, Bourdais, Dixon and Filippi. Less than a minute to go.
The current top six: Montoya, Pagenaud, Power, Bourdais, Dixon and Filippi. Less than a minute to go.
IndyCar - Toronto: So the twelve cars taking part in the second round will be:
Simon Pagenaud
Will Power
Juan Pablo Montoya
Sebastien Bourdais
Luca Filippi
James Jakes
Tony Kanaan
Scott Dixon
Graham Rahal
Takuma Sato
Helio Castroneves
Josef Newgarden
Simon Pagenaud
Will Power
Juan Pablo Montoya
Sebastien Bourdais
Luca Filippi
James Jakes
Tony Kanaan
Scott Dixon
Graham Rahal
Takuma Sato
Helio Castroneves
Josef Newgarden
IndyCar - Toronto: And that's how it's going to stay, because with Gonzalez's car still being retreived and only a couple of minutes left on the clock, race control has thrown the chequered flag.
It's a safe bet that a few drivers will be griping about losing the opportunity for a final run on the red tyres ...
It's a safe bet that a few drivers will be griping about losing the opportunity for a final run on the red tyres ...
Red flag
IndyCar - Toronto: Gonzalez is in the wall, and that will cost him his two fastest laps. The Venezuelan is currently last though, so that's not going to make a lot of difference.
The current top six in this group is:
Kanaan
Dixon
Rahal
Sato
Castroneves
Newgarden
And those on the outside looking in:
Hawksworth
Hunter-Reay
Andretti
Coletti
Chaves
Gonzalez
The current top six in this group is:
Kanaan
Dixon
Rahal
Sato
Castroneves
Newgarden
And those on the outside looking in:
Hawksworth
Hunter-Reay
Andretti
Coletti
Chaves
Gonzalez
IndyCar - Toronto: Saavedra spun right at the end, and that has cost him a place in the top six - he was in P4.
So the six who will progress from this group are Pagenaud, Power, Montoya, Bourdais, Filippi, and Jakes, who is elevated from P7 at Saavedra's expense.
Heading out in the second group are:
Helio Castroneves
Josef Newgarden
Tony Kanaan
Graham Rahal
Scott Dixon
Jack Hawksworth
Stefano Coletti
Takuma Sato
Marco Andretti
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Gabby Chaves
Rodolfo Gonzalez
So the six who will progress from this group are Pagenaud, Power, Montoya, Bourdais, Filippi, and Jakes, who is elevated from P7 at Saavedra's expense.
Heading out in the second group are:
Helio Castroneves
Josef Newgarden
Tony Kanaan
Graham Rahal
Scott Dixon
Jack Hawksworth
Stefano Coletti
Takuma Sato
Marco Andretti
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Gabby Chaves
Rodolfo Gonzalez
IndyCar - Toronto: It's worth remembering that times are scrubbed at the end of these early sessions. All the drivers need to do at the moment is make sure that they are in the top six.
And right now, that top six is Pagenaud, Power, Montoya, Saavedra, Bourdais and Filippi.
And right now, that top six is Pagenaud, Power, Montoya, Saavedra, Bourdais and Filippi.
IndyCar - Toronto: Only six cars from this group will progress to round two, and there are quite a few strong Chevys among them. Honda's best chance might be Munoz.
Pagenaud is currently P1, with four minutes left on the clock.
Pagenaud is currently P1, with four minutes left on the clock.
Green flag
IndyCar - Toronto: And we're away. Daly leads the group out of pitlane.
IndyCar - Toronto: We're about to go green for the start of qualifying in Toronto.
In keeping with usual road/street course protocol, the field will be split for the first phase of qualifying. Preparing to head out in Group 1 are:
Juan Pablo Montoya
Will Power
Simon Pagenaud
Sebastien Bourdais
Luca Filippi
Sebastian Saavedra
Charlie Kimball
James Jakes
Tristan Vautier
Conor Daly
Carlos Munoz
In keeping with usual road/street course protocol, the field will be split for the first phase of qualifying. Preparing to head out in Group 1 are:
Juan Pablo Montoya
Will Power
Simon Pagenaud
Sebastien Bourdais
Luca Filippi
Sebastian Saavedra
Charlie Kimball
James Jakes
Tristan Vautier
Conor Daly
Carlos Munoz
WRC - Italy: Here's the full round-up from this afternoon's action and the summary of how the field stands going into Sunday's four-stage run to the finish:
Rally Italy Saturday pm report
We'll be here from 7am UK time to take you through that last loop - it's all been too dramatic not to keep track of.
And before then. your AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live Saturday is going to conclude with coverage of IndyCar qualifying from Toronto, while Le Mans Live is only five hours into its 24-hour duration.
Rally Italy Saturday pm report
We'll be here from 7am UK time to take you through that last loop - it's all been too dramatic not to keep track of.
And before then. your AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live Saturday is going to conclude with coverage of IndyCar qualifying from Toronto, while Le Mans Live is only five hours into its 24-hour duration.
Breaking news
WRC - Italy - SS19 summary:
* Ogier ends up with lead of over two minutes as Paddon limps with damaged transmission
* Ostberg is poised to get very, very close to Ostberg's second place but then gets a puncture so stays third
* Neuville sets rapid pace and closes to within half a minute of Ostberg
* Latvala continues to fall away with bent suspension but is still sixth overall
* Ogier ends up with lead of over two minutes as Paddon limps with damaged transmission
* Ostberg is poised to get very, very close to Ostberg's second place but then gets a puncture so stays third
* Neuville sets rapid pace and closes to within half a minute of Ostberg
* Latvala continues to fall away with bent suspension but is still sixth overall
WRC - Italy: So our end of day leaderboard looks like this:
1 Ogier
2 Paddon +2m13.6s
3 Ostberg +3m25.6s
4 Neuville +3m57.0s
5 Evans +5m15.5s
6 Latvala +8m08.6s
1 Ogier
2 Paddon +2m13.6s
3 Ostberg +3m25.6s
4 Neuville +3m57.0s
5 Evans +5m15.5s
6 Latvala +8m08.6s
Quote
WRC - Italy: Paddon explains what he's been grappling with:
"I thought it was all gone. We hit a big rock and took part of the driveline. We strapped things up the best we can.
"I don't want to be a drama queen, but when that happened on the last stage it ripped my heart out.
"We've still got to get back to service, but I'm pleased to be here."
"I thought it was all gone. We hit a big rock and took part of the driveline. We strapped things up the best we can.
"I don't want to be a drama queen, but when that happened on the last stage it ripped my heart out.
"We've still got to get back to service, but I'm pleased to be here."
WRC - Italy: Paddon is in. He's lost nearly two minutes to Ogier but less than a minute to Ostberg. He remains in second.
WRC - Italy: Neuville is mildly irked with Latvala for not parking and letting him past, as he spent the final miles in the limping VW's dust cloud.
"It was still driveable but he should have pulled over," said Neuville.
"It was still driveable but he should have pulled over," said Neuville.
WRC - Italy: Neuville comes in 59s faster than Ostberg, so the gap between them is down to 31.4s.
Will this be a battle for second or for third? Depends how Paddon's gearbox-troubled i20 gets on over the last few miles.
Will this be a battle for second or for third? Depends how Paddon's gearbox-troubled i20 gets on over the last few miles.
WRC - Italy: Latvala makes it to the stage finish having lost another two and a half minutes.
He's still going to be sixth overall but now a massive eight minutes off the lead.
He's still going to be sixth overall but now a massive eight minutes off the lead.
WRC - Italy: Paddon was 1m05s down on Ostberg on the splits, but the Citroen will hand some of that time back with this puncture - although the Hyundai will also continue going slower too.
We won't really have a clue what's going on for second place till Paddon's in.
And meanwhile Neuville is quietly putting in splits that might be good enough for a stage win here. The Hyundai began the stage 1m29s behind Ostberg, who's just lost a minute.
A three-way Paddon/Ostberg/Neuville fight for second? The maths might work out that way.
We won't really have a clue what's going on for second place till Paddon's in.
And meanwhile Neuville is quietly putting in splits that might be good enough for a stage win here. The Hyundai began the stage 1m29s behind Ostberg, who's just lost a minute.
A three-way Paddon/Ostberg/Neuville fight for second? The maths might work out that way.
WRC - Italy: Ostberg is again pretty sure he didn't have any impacts to damage the tyre and thinks it could be a repeat of the morning incident where the tyre's valve came adrift.
Crash
WRC - Italy: Ostberg comes through and he's picked up another front puncture! That's cost him a minute to Ogier and will probably keep Paddon in second.
Stopwatch
WRC - Italy: Ogier finishes the stage 10s quicker than Meeke. That's probably going to be a stage win to go with his dominant rally lead.
"I can be very happy with that. It was looking almost impossible, my chance was very small. A lot of things happened, it was a very rough rally. Today was an incredibly long day."
"I can be very happy with that. It was looking almost impossible, my chance was very small. A lot of things happened, it was a very rough rally. Today was an incredibly long day."
By: Matt Beer, Jack Benyon, David Evans, AUTOSPORT staff, Mark Glendenning, Peter Mills, Alex Kalinauckas
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