WRC Spain, Sepang MotoGP
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WTCC - Suzuka: Friday's WTCC track action at Suzuka has ended with Citroen again appearing in formidable form.
It is set to be a big weekend for the Versailles-based team's championship leader Jose Maria Lopez. Sparing calamity, the Argentinean should pick up the 17 points required to be crowned champion before the final race in Macau.
It is set to be a big weekend for the Versailles-based team's championship leader Jose Maria Lopez. Sparing calamity, the Argentinean should pick up the 17 points required to be crowned champion before the final race in Macau.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Sepang: Lorenzo is pushing hard, lowering his own fastest lap by another 2.6s with a 2m16.320s. Behind, Marquez aborted what seemed on course to be the fastest lap.
Crutchlow is now second, 1.3s down on Lorenzo.
Crutchlow is now second, 1.3s down on Lorenzo.
WRC - Spain: DAVID EVANS: The big gaps on last night's spectator stage, and Mikkelsen's pretty dominant run, are easy to explain away between those crews who buffed their tyres and those who didn't.
Mikkelsen had worn his Michelin gravel covers down to nothing, they looked like slicks when he arrived at the start of the stage. The Norwegian had obviously had an interesting journey up the road from Salou to Barcelona to get rid of so much rubber.
Mikkelsen had worn his Michelin gravel covers down to nothing, they looked like slicks when he arrived at the start of the stage. The Norwegian had obviously had an interesting journey up the road from Salou to Barcelona to get rid of so much rubber.
Stopwatch
WRC - Spain: Andreas Mikkelsen is in and he's fastest, 1.4s quicker than Ogier, so that boosts his rally lead to over 3s.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Sepang: Here's Lorenzo, who improves on Marquez's time by 1.1s.
Meanwhile, Pedrosa is now up to fifth behind Aleix Espargaro and Cal Crutchlow.
Meanwhile, Pedrosa is now up to fifth behind Aleix Espargaro and Cal Crutchlow.
Crash
WRC - Spain: Latvala has some minor damage to the front-left corner of his Volkswagen after a small incident that seems to have spooked him.
"I hit a stone. There was quite a lot of dust in the beginning of the stage and I didn't see it. I didn't cut, it was on the side of the road.
"It was very difficult with the rhythm; I didn't have a good rhythm on the stage."
"I hit a stone. There was quite a lot of dust in the beginning of the stage and I didn't see it. I didn't cut, it was on the side of the road.
"It was very difficult with the rhythm; I didn't have a good rhythm on the stage."
WRC - Spain: Here's some good news for Ogier, though - title rival Latvala is 1.7s slower.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Sepang: Marc Marquez raises the bar by a further three seconds, laying down the gauntlet with a 2m19.277s.
Jorge Lorenzo is third behind Hernandez, 3.4s off the pace, with Dani Pedrosa seventh and Valentino Rossi ninth of the other big-hitters.
Jorge Lorenzo is third behind Hernandez, 3.4s off the pace, with Dani Pedrosa seventh and Valentino Rossi ninth of the other big-hitters.
Stopwatch
WRC - Spain: Ogier completes the stage and feels he's driven well, but is convinced running first on the loose gravel has already hurt him.
"For sure it's tricky, but I'm happy - I've done a good stage. But I won't be the fastest."
His time is 4m30.6s.
"For sure it's tricky, but I'm happy - I've done a good stage. But I won't be the fastest."
His time is 4m30.6s.
MotoGP - Sepang: Predictably, the times are already tumbling, Yonny Hernandez having lopped seven seconds off Redding's benchmark.
WRC - Spain: This is how the field stands after last night's SS1 on the streets of Barcelona:
1 Mikkelsen
2 Ogier +1.8s
3 Neuville +2.9s
4 Latvala +3.1s
5 Sordo +3.6s
6 Meeke +4.0s
1 Mikkelsen
2 Ogier +1.8s
3 Neuville +2.9s
4 Latvala +3.1s
5 Sordo +3.6s
6 Meeke +4.0s
MotoGP - Sepang: Action has just started in earnest here in Sepang, after the start of FP2 was delayed by a heavy shower.
The track is still very wet, with most riders just on exploratory runs at the moment. Britain's Scott Redding is first to set a time, with a 2m29.802s.
The track is still very wet, with most riders just on exploratory runs at the moment. Britain's Scott Redding is first to set a time, with a 2m29.802s.
Lights out
WRC - Spain: Our morning begins with Gandesa, a short 4.3-mile gravel stage.
This is the WRC's only mixed-surface event (unless you count Monte Carlo's snow + ice + asphalt or Sweden's snow + muddy-ex-snow), and today is gravel day.
Gandesa and Pesells, which kick us off, are fully gravel, while Terra Alta is a tricky mix of both asphalt and gravel.
This is the WRC's only mixed-surface event (unless you count Monte Carlo's snow + ice + asphalt or Sweden's snow + muddy-ex-snow), and today is gravel day.
Gandesa and Pesells, which kick us off, are fully gravel, while Terra Alta is a tricky mix of both asphalt and gravel.
Spain
WRC - Spain: Weather watch this morning by DAVID EVANS: There's not a cloud in the sky and the tress aren't moving very much, so it doesn't appear to be too windy. That said, it was dark when I took the picture!
The lack of rain allied to an air temperature already hovering around 15 degrees is very bad news for Sebastien Ogier who will have a whole load of gravel to sweep in the first stage.
His only hope comes from the still conditions, which the other drivers fear won't shift the enormous clouds of dust the #1 Polo is about to kick up.
Good morning and welcome to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live.
This weekend we'll be bringing you as it happens coverage of what could be the 2014 World Rally Championship title decider in Spain and MotoGP's Malaysian Grand Prix, plus updates from the European Rally Championship in Switzerland, World Touring Car Championship at Suzuka and V8 Supercars' Surfers Paradise classic.
This weekend we'll be bringing you as it happens coverage of what could be the 2014 World Rally Championship title decider in Spain and MotoGP's Malaysian Grand Prix, plus updates from the European Rally Championship in Switzerland, World Touring Car Championship at Suzuka and V8 Supercars' Surfers Paradise classic.
By: Matt Beer, Jamie Klein, Peter Mills, David Evans
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