| By Gary Watkins | Monday, March 30th 2015, 16:37 GMT |
An increase in the number of pits at Le Mans to allow 60 cars to start the 24 Hours is on course to be completed in time for next year's race
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| Monday, March 30th 2015, 16:24 GMT |
Nick Yelloly will test Hilmer Motorsport's GP2 car after parting company with the Jota Sport LMP2 squad prior to his planned European Le Mans Series campaign
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| By Peter Mills | Monday, March 30th 2015, 19:02 GMT |
Lotus Formula 1 Junior Team driver Matthieu Vaxiviere set the fastest time in both sessions of the first day of the final Formula Renault 3.5 pre-season test at Motorland Aragon.
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| Sunday, March 29th 2015, 22:43 GMT |
Jorge Lorenzo has revealed that a problem with his helmet cost him a shot at victory in MotoGP's season-opening Qatar Grand Prix
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| Sunday, March 29th 2015, 22:22 GMT |
Dani Pedrosa may be forced to halt his MotoGP career due to an inoperable arm condition
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| By Mark Glendenning | Sunday, March 29th 2015, 22:33 GMT |
Juan Pablo Montoya held off Penske team-mate Will Power to open the 2015 IndyCar season with a victory in St Petersburg
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| By Mark Glendenning | Saturday, March 28th 2015, 19:43 GMT |
Ed Jones dominated the weekend's opening Indy Lights race on the streets of St Petersburg to give Carlin a victory in its maiden North American race
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| Saturday, March 28th 2015, 18:26 GMT |
Andrea Dovizioso underlined Ducati's MotoGP resurgence by claiming pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix season opener ahead of Honda's Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez
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| By Mark Glendenning | Saturday, March 28th 2015, 21:49 GMT |
Reigning IndyCar champion Will Power will start his title defence from pole position after leading a Penske domination of qualifying in St Petersburg
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| By Peter Mills | Friday, March 27th 2015, 19:20 GMT |
Manor Formula 1 driver Roberto Merhi has committed to a demanding travel schedule in order to contest Monday's Formula Renault 3.5 test at Aragon straight after the Malaysian Grand Prix
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| By Mark Glendenning | Friday, March 27th 2015, 21:13 GMT |
IndyCar has abandoned its second scheduled practice session for this weekend's season-opener in St Petersburg due to bad weather
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| Friday, March 27th 2015, 23:28 GMT |
Joey Logano became the second repeat NASCAR Sprint Cup pole winner of the season at Martinsville, topping a session delayed by rain
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| By Mitchell Adam | Thursday, March 26th 2015, 18:30 GMT |
Mercedes rookie Lucas Auer led the way on the second, rain-marred day of DTM's first official pre-season test at Estoril
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| Thursday, March 26th 2015, 18:03 GMT |
Two-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez started the 2015 season as he finished 2014, topping the first practice session of the new campaign in Qatar
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| By Edd Straw | Friday, March 27th 2015, 03:38 GMT |
Nico Rosberg topped opening practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix, with Formula 1 title rival Lewis Hamilton completing only four laps before stopping on track
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| By David Evans | Wednesday, March 25th 2015, 17:00 GMT |
Gymkhana star Ken Block will focus his attentions on Global Rallycross this season and will not compete in a single World Rally Championship round for the first time since 2009
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| By Dieter Rencken and Glenn Freeman | Wednesday, March 25th 2015, 16:42 GMT |
Honda does not believe that its bid to catch up to its rivals in Formula 1 would be boosted if it supplied more than one team for its comeback
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| Wednesday, March 25th 2015, 19:48 GMT |
Jamie Green set the pace for Audi on the first day of official pre-season DTM testing at Estoril on Wednesday
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| By Gary Watkins | Tuesday, March 24th 2015, 17:02 GMT |
British single-seater specialist Fortec Motorsport has closed its GT arm after just two seasons
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| By Gary Watkins | Tuesday, March 24th 2015, 19:03 GMT |
The Murphy Prototypes team and Nathanael Berthon topped the times in the official European Le Mans Series test at Paul Ricard
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| By Scott Mitchell | Tuesday, March 24th 2015, 17:11 GMT |
Jason Plato led new British Touring Car Championship team-mate Colin Turkington as the Team BMR Volkswagens topped the series' official pre-season test at Donington Park
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| Monday, March 23rd 2015, 15:13 GMT |
Ferrari protege Raffaele Marciello will make his Formula 1 grand prix weekend debut in Malaysia, when he contests Friday's first practice session with Sauber
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| By Hal Ridge | Monday, March 23rd 2015, 15:46 GMT |
Former single-seater racer Tamas Pal Kiss will make a full time move to rallycross this season, including occasional appearances in the world championship
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| By Scott Mitchell | Monday, March 23rd 2015, 17:16 GMT |
WSR boss Dick Bennetts is concerned the British Touring Car Championship regulation changes for rear-wheel drive cars will have an unfair impact on his title-winning team's performance in 2015
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| By Gary Watkins | Sunday, March 22nd 2015, 03:04 GMT |
Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Sebastien Bourdais claimed a clear victory in the Sebring 12 Hours for the Action Express Racing team
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Sunday, March 22nd 2015, 11:42 GMT |
Williams is confident it can outdevelop any of its Formula 1 rivals and maintain a consistent challenge throughout the 2015 season, despite falling behind Ferrari in the Australian Grand Prix
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| Sunday, March 22nd 2015, 23:23 GMT |
Brad Keselowski completed a spectacular comeback to take Fontana NASCAR Sprint Cup victory on the second green-white-chequered restart
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| By Gary Watkins | Saturday, March 21st 2015, 21:13 GMT |
Chip Ganassi Racing led the Sebring 12 Hours with its Riley-Ford EcoBoost DP at half distance
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| By Gary Watkins | Saturday, March 21st 2015, 17:17 GMT |
The organisers of the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Tudor United SportsCar Championship have extended their alliance until the end of the 2020 season
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| By Gary Watkins | Sunday, March 22nd 2015, 03:04 GMT |
Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Sebastien Bourdais claimed a clear victory in the Sebring 12 Hours for the Action Express Racing team
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| Friday, March 20th 2015, 20:48 GMT |
IndyCar has announced that it will increase payments to its 'Leaders Circle' teams to $1.25million per car this season.
The series issues the payments to pre-selected teams - this year choosing 21 entrants - providing they qualify for every race during the season.
Last year the chosen teams received $1million, but the money on offer has increased by $250,000.
IndyCar president of competition and operations Derrick Walker said: "IndyCar is invested in the continued support of its teams.
"This programme rewards teams for full-season participation and helps each of them with an additional source of funding.
"The programme is also an asset to our [race] promoters as it guarantees over 20 cars at each event.
"As IndyCar continues to grow we're excited about opportunities like this that are beneficial to the teams that compete in our series."
Teams eligible for the scheme will also compete for race-by-race bonuses, which will be issued to the top 12 this year, compared to the top 10 in 2014.
Non-eligible teams can also compete for payouts given to the top three finishers, although both race-by-race reward schemes exclude the Indianapolis 500.
| By Gary Watkins | Friday, March 20th 2015, 22:41 GMT |
Olivier Pla set two laps good enough for pole position aboard the Krohn Racing Ligier-Judd/BMW JSP2 in qualifying for the Sebring 12 Hours.
The Frenchman ended up on a 1m51.152s during the 15-minute prototype class qualifying session, which put him three tenths ahead of Ryan Dalziel's Extreme Speed Motorsports HPD ARX-03b.
Dalziel had trailed Pla by seven tenths, but he improved on his last flying lap to a 1m51.455s.
Pla said: "It is something special to be on pole at Sebring.
"The more laps we did, the quicker we went, and I think I had another lap in my pocket if I needed it.
"The track changed a lot because the wind was a lot stronger; it changed the balance and made it loose at the rear."
Joao Barbosa set the best time in a Daytona Prototype to line up third behind the two LMP2 cars in the lead Action Express Racing Coyote-Chevrolet Corvette DP.
The reigning Tudor United SportsCar champion finished on a 1m52.128s, putting him just ahead of Oswaldo Negri Jr in the Michael Shank Racing Ligier-Honda JSP2, which only just made qualifying after an engine change in the wake of final free practice.
The factory CORE Porsche team blocked out the front two positions in GT Le Mans with Frederic Makowiecki and Patrick Pilet.
Makowiecki jumped ahead of Antonio Garcia's Chevrolet Corvette C7.R to take the class pole with a 1m58.587s and then Pilet improved his best to put the #911 Porsche 911 RSR second with a 1m58.806s.
Garcia ended up third, his 1m58.828s leaving him just ahead of Rahal BMW driver Dirk Werner.
Martin Plowman led the way in the prototype challenge class with a 1m55.257s aboard the BAR1 ORECA-Chevrolet FLM09.
That put him a tenth up on Colin Braun in the CORE Autosport entry.
Jeroen Bleekemolen snatched pole for the GT Daytona class at the wheel of the Riley Motorsports Dodge SRT Viper GT3-R from Mario Farnbacher's Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America.
The Dutchman crossed the line in 2m03.485s to eclipse Farnbacher's best by just five hundredths of a second.
The top two were more than half a second ahead of third-placed Spencer Pumpelly, who ended up on a 2m04.106s in his Park Place Porsche.
QUALIFYING RESULTS
| Pos | Class | Driver | Team | Car | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P | T.Krohn, N.Jonsson, O.Pla | Krohn Racing | Ligier/Judd | 1m51.152s | - |
| 2 | P | S.Sharp, R.Dalziel, D.Hansson | Tequila Patron ESM | HPD | 1m51.455s | 0.303s |
| 3 | P | J.Barbosa, C.Fittipaldi, S.Bourdais | Action Express Racing | Corvette/Chevrolet | 1m52.128s | 0.976s |
| 4 | P | J.Pew, O.Negri, J.Wilson | Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian | Ligier/HPD | 1m52.170s | 1.018s |
| 5 | P | E.Curran, D.Cameron, M.Papis | Action Express Racing | Corvette/Chevrolet | 1m52.490s | 1.338s |
| 6 | P | R.Westbrook, M.Valiante, M.Rockenfeller | visitflorida.com Racing | Corvette/Chevrolet | 1m52.691s | 1.539s |
| 7 | P | R.Taylor, J.Taylor, M.Angelelli | Wayne Taylor Racing | Corvette/Chevrolet | 1m52.720s | 1.568s |
| 8 | P | E.Brown, J.van Overbeek, J.Fogarty | Tequila Patron ESM | HPD | 1m53.047s | 1.895s |
| 9 | P | J.Hand, S.Pruett, S.Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Riley/Ford | 1m53.329s | 2.177s |
| 10 | P | M.Rojas, K.Legge, A.Meyrick | Claro / TracFone DeltaWing Racing | DeltaWing/Elan | 1m55.223s | 4.071s |
| 11 | PC | M.Drumwright, T.Drissi, D.Cheng, M.Plowman | BAR1 Motorsports | ORECA/Chevrolet | 1m55.257s | 4.105s |
| 12 | PC | J.Bennett, C.Braun, J.Gue | CORE Autosport | ORECA/Chevrolet | 1m55.327s | 4.175s |
| 13 | PC | M.Guasch, A.Palmer, T.K.-Smith | PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports | ORECA/Chevrolet | 1m55.416s | 4.264s |
| 14 | PC | J.Mee, J.French, C.Daly | Performance Tech Motorsports | ORECA/Chevrolet | 1m55.748s | 4.596s |
| 15 | PC | B.Junqueira, C.Cumming, G.Menezes | RSR Racing | ORECA/Chevrolet | 1m56.450s | 5.298s |
| 16 | PC | M.Goikhberg, C.Miller, R.Mitchell, G.Kraut | JDC/Miller Motorsports | ORECA/Chevrolet | 1m57.248s | 6.096s |
| 17 | P | T.Nunez, J.Bomarito, S.Tremblay | Speedsource | Mazda | 1m57.421s | 6.269s |
| 18 | PC | R.van der Zande, M.Hedlund, M.Schultis | Starworks Motorsport | ORECA/Chevrolet | 1m57.842s | 6.690s |
| 19 | GTLM | J.Bergmeister, E.Bamber, F.Makowiecki | Porsche North America | Porsche | 1m58.587s | 7.435s |
| 20 | GTLM | N.Tandy, P.Pilet, R.Lietz | Porsche North America | Porsche | 1m58.806s | 7.654s |
| 21 | GTLM | J.Magnussen, A.Garcia, R.Briscoe | Corvette Racing | Chevrolet | 1m58.828s | 7.676s |
| 22 | GTLM | B.Auberlen, D.Werner, A.Farfus | BMW Team RLL | BMW | 1m58.842s | 7.690s |
| 23 | GTLM | P.Kaffer, G.Fisichella, A.Bertolini | Risi Competizione | Ferrari | 1m58.927s | 7.775s |
| 24 | GTLM | J.M.Edwards, L.Luhr, J.Klingmann | BMW Team RLL | BMW | 1m58.930s | 7.778s |
| 25 | GTLM | O.Gavin, T.Milner, S.Pagenaud | Corvette Racing | Chevrolet | 1m59.451s | 8.299s |
| 26 | GTLM | B.Sellers, W.Henzler, P.Long | Team Falken Tire | Porsche | 1m59.787s | 8.635s |
| 27 | GTLM | P.D.Lana, P.Lamy, D.Turner, M.Lauda | Aston Martin Racing | Aston Martin | 1m59.896s | 8.744s |
| 28 | GTD | B.Keating, J.Bleekemolen, S.Bleekemolen | Riley Motorsports | Dodge | 2m03.485s | 12.333s |
| 29 | GTD | I.James, M.Farnbacher, A.Riberas | Team Seattle/Alex Job Racing | Porsche | 2m03.538s | 12.386s |
| 30 | GTD | P.Lindsey, S.Pumpelly, J.Norman | Park Place Motorsports | Porsche | 2m04.106s | 12.954s |
| 31 | GTD | C.MacNeil, L.Keen, A.Davis | Alex Job Racing | Porsche | 2m04.339s | 13.187s |
| 32 | GTD | C.Nielsen, J.Davison, B.Davis | TRG-AMR | Aston Martin | 2m04.855s | 13.703s |
| 33 | GTD | D.Faulkner, M.Skeen, M.Avenatti | GB Autosport | Porsche | 2m04.930s | 13.778s |
| 34 | GTD | J.Potter, A.Lally, M.Seefried | Magnus Racing | Porsche | 2m04.944s | 13.792s |
| 35 | GTD | M.Snow, J.Heylen, M.Valverde | Wright Motorsports | Porsche | 2m05.059s | 13.907s |
| 36 | GTD | A.Carter, M.Goossens, B.Keating, C.Lawrence | Riley Motorsports | Dodge | 2m05.081s | 13.929s |
| 37 | GTD | C.Haase, B.Miller, D.von Moltke | Paul Miller Racing | Audi | 2m05.265s | 14.113s |
| 38 | GTD | M.Holzer, R.Thorne, C.Thompson | Flying Lizard Motorsports | Audi | 2m05.499s | 14.347s |
| 39 | GTD | P.Perazzini, M.Cioci, R.Aguas, E.Potolicchio | AF Corse | Ferrari | 2m05.781s | 14.629s |
| 40 | GTD | B.Sweedler, T.Bell, A.Lazzaro | Scuderia Corsa | Ferrari | 2m06.479s | 15.327s |
| 41 | GTD | M.Marsal, M.Palttala, A.Priaulx, B.Said | Turner Motorsport | BMW | 2m07.373s | 16.221s |
| 42 | P | T.Long, J.Miller, B.Devlin, S.Tremblay | Speedsource | Mazda | - | - |
| 43 | P | J.Pace, B.Defoor, D.Hinton, D.Schroeder | Fifty Plus Racing | Riley/BMW | - | - |
| Saturday, March 21st 2015, 01:11 GMT |
Kurt Busch dominated qualifying for the fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the season at Fontana, only his second event back after suspension.
The Stewart-Haas driver had topped the earlier practice session and set the fastest times in the second and final segments of qualifying to head team-mate - and winner of the last two Cup races - Kevin Harvick.
Busch had sat out the first three races of 2015 during a legal case over assault allegations.
Last year's Fontana polesitter Matt Kenseth managed third after setting the fastest time of the entire session in the first qualifying instalment, followed by David Ragan - subbing for an injured Kyle Busch in the #18 Joe Gibbs Toyota - and 2014 Fontana race runner-up Kyle Larson.
The most notable absentee from the final qualifying showdown was Joey Logano, who was only able to muster 13th and missed out on the final qualifying segment for the first time since Talladega last year.
Behind Logano and also missing out was Jimmie Johnson. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has five wins and a pole in 20 races at the track but struggled in Turn 1 and 2 during his second qualifying lap, leaving him 14th.
Last week's Phoenix runner-up Jamie McMurray had a difficult session and failed to progress past the first segment of qualifying. The Ganassi driver could only manage 26th.
Roush Fenway Racing particularly struggled on the aero-dependant Fontana track, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr its highest-placed car in 27th. Greg Biffle managed 29th and Trevor Bayne 36th.
Brett Moffitt qualified the #55 Michael Waltrip Racing car in 30th, after Brian Vickers was ruled out of the weekend following a recurrence of blood clots that interrupted his racing in 2010 and '13.
Front Row Motorsport is now onto its third driver change of the year after losing Ragan to Gibbs and Moffitt to Waltrip.
Chris Buescher took over the #34 Front Row entry and made his Cup qualifying debut in the process, taking 33rd.
Reed Sorenson and Travis Kvapil failed to qualify.
| By Gary Watkins | Thursday, March 19th 2015, 16:32 GMT |
Rob Bell is returning to Aston Martin Racing after a year away for an attack on the Le Mans 24 Hours in June.
The Briton, who is contracted to McLaren for its GT3 programmes, will race the lead Aston Martin Vantage GTE together with Darren Turner and Stefan Mucke in the GTE Pro class at Le Mans and the Spa World Endurance Championship round in May.
Bell, who led the class at Le Mans in 2013 for Aston Martin together with Frederic Makowiecki and Bruno Senna, told AUTOSPORT: "I'm pretty happy to be back with Aston, and McLaren has been great about letting me do it with them again.
"I'll be doing Spa to get up to speed; there's a bit of pressure on being with Darren and Stefan."
AMR boss John Gaw explained that Bell had "done a great job in 2013".
"Rob gets on well with Darren and Stefan; the chemistry within the team is very important," he said.
Bell is rejoining Aston after McLaren vetoed him staying with the team in 2014, which resulted in a move to the factory Dodge Viper squad.
He raced in three of the four North American Endurance Cup rounds of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship and was scheduled to do Le Mans prior to the Riley-run squad's withdrawal.
Richie Stanaway is scheduled to contest all the full WEC for the first time in AMR's second car alongside Fernando Rees and Alex MacDowall.
Should Stanaway, who joined AMR in 2013, land a GP2 drive after starring in last week's official GP2 test in Abu Dhabi with the Status team, there would be only one clash with the WEC.
MacDowall, who joined AMR last year as part of a tie-up with the Bamboo squad, has stayed on board for a second year in the WEC.
He said it was "undeniably the best place for me to be".
Ferrari GT3 regular Francesco Castellacci joins Roald Goethe in AMR's #96 GTE Am entry together with Stuart Hall, the German's long-time driving partner.
Stanaway will also be part of AMR's Nurburgring 24 Hours campaign with a pair of V12 Vantage GT3s along with fellow newcomer Jonny Adam.
FULL AMR WEC LINE-UP
#5 Marco Sørensen/Christoffer Nygaard/Nicki Thiim
#96 Francesco Castellacci/Roald Goethe/Stuart Hall
#97 Darren Turner/Stefan Mücke,/Rob Bell ( Spa & Le Mans only)
#98 Paul Dalla Lana/Pedro Lamy/Mathias Lauda
#99 Alex MacDowall/Fernando Rees/Richie Stanaway
| By Gary Watkins | Thursday, March 19th 2015, 19:54 GMT |
Olivier Pla went fastest in second practice for Saturday's second round of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship at Sebring aboard the Krohn Racing Ligier LMP2 coupe.
The Frenchman, who is sharing the Krohn Ligier-Judd/BMW JSP2 with team owner Tracy Krohn and Nic Jonsson, topped the times with 1m52.731s over the course of the one-hour session.
That put him eight tenths up on Oswaldo Negri Jr's 1m53.554s best in the Honda-powered Ligier entered by Michael Shank Racing.
Pla said: "We had a good two days of testing here last week and have been going in the right directions to deal with the bumps.
"We are pretty happy, but I don't think everyone else has shown their potential so far."
The lead Action Express Racing Coyote-Chevrolet Corvette DP, which had gone fastest in the opening session, was third in Christian Fittipaldi's hands on a 1m53.818s.
Joey Hand took fourth for Chip Ganassi Racing, setting a 1m54.098s aboard the team's solo Riley-Ford EcoBoost DP
The Rahal BMW team again led the way in GT Le Mans, this time with John Edwards going fastest in the #24 Z4 GTE with a 1m59.879s.
That put him less than a tenth ahead of Richard Lietz in the fastest of the CORE-run factory Porsche 911 RSRs.
Tom Kimber-Smith was quickest in the Prototype Challenge class for the PR1/Mathiasen squad, while Andrew Davis topped the GT Daytona division in his Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America.
Leading second practice times:
| Pos | Class | Driver | Team | Car | Time | Laps | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P | T.Krohn, N.Jonsson, O.Pla | Krohn Racing | Ligier/Judd | 1m52.731s | 20 | - |
| 2 | P | J.Pew, O.Negri, J.Wilson | Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian | Ligier/HPD | 1m53.554s | 22 | 0.823s |
| 3 | P | J.Barbosa, C.Fittipaldi, S.Bourdais | Action Express Racing | Corvette/Chevrolet | 1m53.818s | 20 | 1.087s |
| 4 | P | J.Hand, S.Pruett, S.Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Riley/Ford | 1m54.098s | 18 | 1.367s |
| 5 | P | R.Taylor, J.Taylor, M.Angelelli | Wayne Taylor Racing | Corvette/Chevrolet | 1m54.254s | 20 | 1.523s |
| 6 | P | S.Sharp, R.Dalziel, D.Hansson | Tequila Patron ESM | HPD | 1m54.385s | 20 | 1.654s |
| 7 | P | R.Westbrook, M.Valiante, M.Rockenfeller | visitflorida.com Racing | Corvette/Chevrolet | 1m54.698s | 22 | 1.967s |
| 8 | P | E.Curran, D.Cameron, M.Papis | Action Express Racing | Corvette/Chevrolet | 1m54.716s | 23 | 1.985s |
| 9 | P | E.Brown, J.van Overbeek, J.Fogarty | Tequila Patron ESM | HPD | 1m54.880s | 20 | 2.149s |
| 10 | PC | M.Guasch, A.Palmer, T.K.-Smith | PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports | ORECA/Chevrolet | 1m57.130s | 22 | 4.399s |
| Thursday, March 19th 2015, 16:38 GMT |
Jenzer Motorsport driver Ralph Boschung led the way on the final day of GP3's opening pre-season test at Estoril.
The 17-year-old Swiss driver set his 1m27.789s lap midway through the morning session, which was dry, unlike the first day's action on Wednesday.
On his 21st birthday, ART's Marvin Kirchhofer was Boschung's closest challenger, almost two-tenths adrift, while Emil Bernstorff, Jimmy Eriksson and day one pacesetter Antonio Fuoco completed the top five.
Fuoco's Carlin team-mate Mitchell Gilbert was sixth fastest, before topping the afternoon session.
In warmer conditions, Gilbert's 1m28.517s was 0.728 seconds off the morning benchmark, but still good enough to lead Matheo Tuscher, Bernstorff, Pal Varhaug and Boschung.
Confirmed by Carlin as its third driver on the eve of the test, Jann Mardenborough was eighth in the morning and 10th in the afternoon and the busiest driver of the day, logging 103 laps.
Valencia will host the next pre-season test on April 9-10.
MORNING TIMES:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ralph Boschung | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m27.789s | - | 36 |
| 2 | Marvin Kirchhofer | ART Grand Prix | 1m27.967s | 0.178s | 36 |
| 3 | Emil Bernstorff | Arden International | 1m28.049s | 0.260s | 39 |
| 4 | Jimmy Eriksson | Koiranen GP | 1m28.050s | 0.261s | 25 |
| 5 | Antonio Fuoco | Carlin | 1m28.268s | 0.479s | 36 |
| 6 | Mitchell Gilbert | Carlin | 1m28.312s | 0.523s | 35 |
| 7 | Luca Ghiotto | Trident | 1m28.366s | 0.577s | 38 |
| 8 | Jann Mardenborough | Carlin | 1m28.520s | 0.731s | 37 |
| 9 | Esteban Ocon | ART Grand Prix | 1m28.546s | 0.757s | 33 |
| 10 | Sandy Stuvik | Status Grand Prix | 1m28.594s | 0.805s | 37 |
| 11 | Matheo Tuscher | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m28.601s | 0.812s | 39 |
| 12 | Alex Palou | Campos Racing | 1m28.749s | 0.960s | 37 |
| 13 | Matt Parry | Koiranen GP | 1m28.772s | 0.983s | 33 |
| 14 | Pal Varhaug | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m28.848s | 1.059s | 30 |
| 15 | Seb Morris | Status Grand Prix | 1m28.941s | 1.152s | 31 |
| 16 | Alex Fontana | Status Grand Prix | 1m29.015s | 1.226s | 19 |
| 17 | Alfonso Celis | ART Grand Prix | 1m29.031s | 1.242s | 35 |
| 18 | Adderly Fong | Koiranen GP | 1m29.052s | 1.263s | 33 |
| 19 | Oscar Tunjo | Trident | 1m29.091s | 1.302s | 29 |
| 20 | Kevin Ceccon | Arden International | 1m29.239s | 1.450s | 34 |
| 21 | Artur Janosz | Trident | 1m29.866s | 2.077s | 29 |
| 22 | Alex Bosak | Arden International | 1m29.932s | 2.143s | 24 |
| 23 | Zaid Ashkanani | Campos Racing | 1m30.846s | 3.057s | 27 |
AFTERNOON TIMES:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitchell Gilbert | Carlin | 1m28.517s | - | 56 |
| 2 | Matheo Tuscher | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m28.628s | 0.111s | 29 |
| 3 | Emil Bernstorff | Arden International | 1m28.751s | 0.234s | 39 |
| 4 | Luca Ghiotto | Trident | 1m28.786s | 0.269s | 35 |
| 5 | Pal Varhaug | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m28.953s | 0.436s | 30 |
| 6 | Ralph Boschung | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m28.962s | 0.445s | 46 |
| 7 | Kevin Ceccon | Arden International | 1m29.120s | 0.603s | 35 |
| 8 | Alex Fontana | Status Grand Prix | 1m29.126s | 0.609s | 25 |
| 9 | Artur Janosz | Trident | 1m29.406s | 0.889s | 29 |
| 10 | Jann Mardenborough | Carlin | 1m29.611s | 1.094s | 66 |
| 11 | Oscar Tunjo | Trident | 1m29.630s | 1.113s | 19 |
| 12 | Adderly Fong | Koiranen GP | 1m29.682s | 1.165s | 40 |
| 13 | Seb Morris | Status Grand Prix | 1m29.811s | 1.294s | 43 |
| 14 | Sandy Stuvik | Status Grand Prix | 1m30.086s | 1.569s | 47 |
| 15 | Zaid Ashkanani | Campos Racing | 1m30.257s | 1.740s | 31 |
| 16 | Matt Parry | Koiranen GP | 1m30.450s | 1.933s | 26 |
| 17 | Alex Bosak | Arden International | 1m30.749s | 2.232s | 35 |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | ART Grand Prix | 1m30.763s | 2.246s | 47 |
| 19 | Alex Palou | Campos Racing | 1m30.925s | 2.408s | 42 |
| 20 | Antonio Fuoco | Carlin | 1m31.102s | 2.585s | 59 |
| 21 | Marvin Kirchhofer | ART Grand Prix | 1m31.283s | 2.766s | 53 |
| 22 | Jimmy Eriksson | Koiranen GP | 1m31.454s | 2.937s | 59 |
| 23 | Alfonso Celis | ART Grand Prix | 1m32.236s | 3.719s | 51 |
| Wednesday, March 18th 2015, 17:45 GMT |
The British round of the World Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill will be sponsored by AUTOSPORT's sister publication Motorsport News this year.
The fourth round of the World RX season takes place on May 23-24 and MN has put its name to the event as part of the publication's 60th anniversary celebrations. It will be known as FIA Motorsport News World RX of Great Britain.
The event will also receive additional promotion via other publications within the Haymarket Consumer Media group, including AUTOSPORT, Autocar and Pistonheads.com.
Lydden Hill owner Pat Doran said: "The support we enjoyed from these titles last year were significant in us attracting a record crowd, so we are delighted to be extending the partnership.
"We are absolutely delighted to be teaming with a title of Motorsport News' renowned reputation and long-running popularity in what's such a very special milestone year for the magazine.
"Ever since Vic Elford won the very first rallycross race at Lydden Hill back the late 1960s, the sport has always enjoyed great exposure in the pages of Motorsport News and that's why we are so delighted to be part of its 60th birthday celebrations."
Early Bird tickets for the meeting are available until the end of March. These are priced at £20 for Saturday and £25 for Sunday, but will rise to £25 and £30 from the beginning of April, with any remaining general admission tickets to be sold on the gate for £30 and £35 respectively.
Accompanied children aged 12 and under will be admitted free of charge, while VIP Hospitality and a limited number of grandstand tickets are also available in advance.
For more information, visit the official www.lyddenhill.co.uk website.
| By Marcus Simmons | Wednesday, March 18th 2015, 16:34 GMT |
Series newcomer Charles Leclerc dominated Wednesday's Formula 3 European Championship official test day at Valencia, on a track that never dried out fully
You have viewed over 15 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| Wednesday, March 18th 2015, 17:49 GMT |
Ferrari protege Antonio Fuoco topped the GP3 Series' first day of 2015 pre-season testing for Carlin at Estoril
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| Tuesday, March 17th 2015, 16:36 GMT |
GP2 race winner Mitch Evans will take his first steps in sportscar racing this season with a Le Mans 24 Hours campaign for the British Jota LMP2 squad
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| By Marcus Simmons | Tuesday, March 17th 2015, 17:23 GMT |
Italian Antonio Giovinazzi kept the rookie challenge at bay in the first official day of Formula 3 European Championship testing at Valencia
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| By Scott Mitchell | Tuesday, March 17th 2015, 19:36 GMT |
Matt Neal believes Honda's brand-new Civic Type-R will make the manufacturer's late start to British Touring Car Championship testing worth the wait
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| Monday, March 16th 2015, 18:07 GMT |
A relaxation in Switzerland's ban on motor racing has opened the door for Formula E to race in the country in the future
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| By Edd Straw | Monday, March 16th 2015, 16:52 GMT |
McLaren racing director Eric Boullier has refused to set the timeline for when the Honda-powered team will start to achieve competitive results
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| Monday, March 16th 2015, 18:38 GMT |
The final day of MotoGP pre-season testing in Qatar was called-off due to rain at the Losail circuit on Monday
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| By Gerhard Kuntschik and Glenn Freeman | Sunday, March 15th 2015, 19:33 GMT |
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has warned that the Austrian firm could pull out of Formula 1, claiming that the current regulations "will kill the sport"
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| Sunday, March 15th 2015, 21:15 GMT |
Andrea Dovizioso fended off Marc Marquez to keep Ducati on top for a second day of MotoGP testing in Qatar
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| Sunday, March 15th 2015, 23:12 GMT |
Kevin Harvick survived two late race restarts to win the Phoenix NASCAR Sprint Cup race, taking his second consecutive victory and fifth in the last six races at the track
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Sunday, March 15th 2015, 01:37 GMT |
Valtteri Bottas' participation in the Australian Grand Prix remains in doubt after scans revealed the Finn sustained soft tissue damage in his lower back
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| By Gary Watkins | Saturday, March 14th 2015, 22:12 GMT |
Nicolas Prost snatched victory in round five of the Formula E Championship in Miami after passing Daniel Abt with less than two laps left and then resisting debutant Scott Speed
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| By Edd Straw | Sunday, March 15th 2015, 02:22 GMT |
The FIA has issued a technical directive to allow it to measure fuel pressure throughout each car's fuel system, AUTOSPORT can reveal.
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| By David Evans | Friday, March 13th 2015, 16:15 GMT |
Citroen management refused to criticise Kris Meeke's third mistake in as many 2015 World Rally Championship events, insisting he has its full backing
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| By Jonathan Noble and Anthony Rowlinson | Friday, March 13th 2015, 17:31 GMT |
The battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg for the Formula 1 title will be closer this year than last season, reckons Niki Lauda
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Saturday, March 14th 2015, 00:47 GMT |
Giedo van der Garde has given up his legal rights to race in the Australian Grand Prix after coming to an arrangement with Sauber over their dispute
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| Thursday, March 12th 2015, 18:40 GMT |
Former Formula 1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi is to make his Formula E debut in Miami this weekend after agreeing a deal to join the Trulli team.
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| Thursday, March 12th 2015, 16:41 GMT |
Ex-Formula 1 driver Charles Pic will return to Formula E this weekend in Miami, with China Racing
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| By Ben Anderson | Friday, March 13th 2015, 03:09 GMT |
Nico Rosberg edged Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to top the first free practice session of the new Formula 1 season by less than half a tenth of a second
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Thursday, March 12th 2015, 02:06 GMT |
Mercedes says it is not writing off a challenge from Red Bull this season, despite its Formula 1 rival's indifferent form in testing
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| By Lawrence Barretto and Glenn Freeman | Wednesday, March 11th 2015, 17:21 GMT |
Pastor Maldonado says his Lotus team is much better prepared for this season compared to 12 months ago
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| By Scott Mitchell | Wednesday, March 11th 2015, 17:26 GMT |
Former World Endurance Championship team Ram Racing will bring Mercedes back to British GT this season
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| By Gary Watkins | Tuesday, March 10th 2015, 18:47 GMT |
Ex-Caterham Formula 1 test driver Robin Frijns could make a switch to sportscar racing this season with the WRT Audi team in the Blancpain GT Series
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| By Gary Watkins | Tuesday, March 10th 2015, 18:30 GMT |
Extreme Speed Motorsports has shelved its new HPD coupe and is buying two Ligiers for its attack on the LMP2 class of this year's World Endurance Championship
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Wednesday, March 11th 2015, 02:33 GMT |
An Australian court has ruled Giedo van der Garde has the right to race for Sauber in Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, but the Swiss Formula 1 team has appealed the decision
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Monday, March 9th 2015, 17:19 GMT |
Williams driver Valtteri Bottas says his strong performance in 2014 has better prepared him to win his first Formula 1 grand prix this year
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| By Gary Watkins | Monday, March 9th 2015, 16:36 GMT |
Formula E has secured investment from two companies controlled by US media mogul John Malone
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| By Glenn Freeman | Tuesday, March 10th 2015, 00:08 GMT |
Roberto Merhi will race for the Manor Formula 1 team in this weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, partnering fellow Formula Renault 3.5 race winner Will Stevens
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| By Stuart Codling | Sunday, March 8th 2015, 21:21 GMT |
Sebastien Loeb scored a tenacious victory over Citroen team-mate Jose Maria Lopez in the second World Touring Car Championship race in Argentina, scything through from eighth on the reversed grid
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| By Stuart Codling | Sunday, March 8th 2015, 19:20 GMT |
Defending champion Jose Maria Lopez won the opening race of the 2015 World Touring Car Championship in Argentina from Citroen team-mate Yvan Muller
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| Sunday, March 8th 2015, 23:02 GMT |
NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick took a deserved first victory of 2015 with a composed performance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
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| By Stuart Codling | Saturday, March 7th 2015, 22:10 GMT |
Lada driver Rob Huff called the performance of the new Vesta a "genuine surprise" after going quickest in first qualifying at the World Touring Car Championship opener in Argentina
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| Saturday, March 7th 2015, 21:38 GMT |
Jeff Gordon will have to relinquish pole position for Sunday's Las Vegas NASCAR Sprint Cup race after switching to his back-up car following a practice clash with Danica Patrick
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| Sunday, March 8th 2015, 00:40 GMT |
Sebastien Ogier is on the brink of Rally Mexico victory as Mads Ostberg and Andreas Mikkelsen continue to engage in a fierce fight for second behind
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| Saturday, March 7th 2015, 00:34 GMT |
Sebastien Ogier resisted challenges from Thierry Neuville and Jari-Matti Latvala to maintain a 13.5-second lead after a wild first full day of Rally Mexico
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| By David Evans | Friday, March 6th 2015, 20:37 GMT |
Robert Kubica will return to Rally Mexico for Saturday, after crashing when poised to take the rally lead on Friday morning
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| Saturday, March 7th 2015, 01:45 GMT |
Jeff Gordon claimed the 79th pole of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career in qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
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| By Lawrence Barretto | Thursday, March 5th 2015, 17:38 GMT |
Sebastian Vettel says he first contacted Ferrari about a potential move to the team back in 2008 and has since had "secret" meetings in Maranello while racing for Red Bull
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| By Mark Glendenning | Friday, March 6th 2015, 00:56 GMT |
Kurt Busch will not face criminal charges over allegations that he assaulted his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll, although the 2004 Cup champion remains under an indefinite suspension by NASCAR
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| By David Evans | Friday, March 6th 2015, 03:37 GMT |
Sebastien Ogier leads Rally Mexico after two Thursday night superspecial stages
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| By Jonathan Noble | Wednesday, March 4th 2015, 17:50 GMT |
Former Sainsbury's boss Justin King insists his focus in Formula 1 is on helping move Manor up the grid rather than chasing a role in running the sport
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| By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer | Wednesday, March 4th 2015, 16:43 GMT |
Manor investor Stephen Fitzpatrick says he could not stand to see the former Marussia Formula 1 team disappear after it had finally achieved its breakthrough points in 2014
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| By Jonathan Noble | Wednesday, March 4th 2015, 16:15 GMT |
Manor has confirmed that its Formula 1 car is ready to race at the Australian Grand Prix
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| By Scott Mitchell | Tuesday, March 3rd 2015, 20:10 GMT |
Tom Ingram will continue in the British Touring Car Championship in 2015 after renewing his partnership with Speedworks Motorsport
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| By Stuart Codling | Tuesday, March 3rd 2015, 14:30 GMT |
The World Touring Car Championship replaced its blue-riband event in Macau with a night race in Qatar to obtain a more favourable timeslot for television, says series chief Francois Ribeiro
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| By Ben Anderson | Tuesday, March 3rd 2015, 16:54 GMT |
Williams technical chief Pat Symonds says Formula 1 "needs" teams like Manor GP, which is gearing up for a shock return from the ashes of the defunct Marussia project
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| By Gary Watkins | Monday, March 2nd 2015, 16:45 GMT |
Nissan's radical GT-R LM NISMO has been labelled as both "exciting" and "brave" by its opposition in this year's World Endurance Championship
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| By Scott Mitchell | Monday, March 2nd 2015, 16:16 GMT |
Race-winning British Touring Car team Eurotech Racing will field Martin Depper again in 2015, and has signed former WSR team manager Marvin Humphries to head up its race weekend operations
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| By Ben Anderson | Monday, March 2nd 2015, 17:04 GMT |
Renault admits it will arrive at the first race of the new Formula 1 season with work still to do to meet its target of closing the gap to Mercedes
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| Sunday, March 1st 2015, 23:26 GMT |
Jimmie Johnson claimed victory in the Atlanta NASCAR Sprint Cup race despite missing qualifying.
Hendrick's six-time champion was among a group of cars that did not make it through a controversial technical inspection in time to run in Friday's qualifying session, leaving him 37th for the start.
Johnson made steady progress through the pack and then began a lead battle with reigning champion Kevin Harvick in the second half of the race.
Harvick's charge had been even more impressive than Johnson's. His front row start had been lost when an engine failure in Saturday practice put him to the back for the race, but he surged up the order to take the lead from polesitter and early dominator Joey Logano on lap 87 of 325.
The Stewart-Haas driver controlled the middle section of the race before eventually losing out to Johnson, who broke decisively clear in the final 14-lap sprint following a red flag for a multi-car pile-up triggered by Greg Biffle and Joe Nemechek colliding.
Johnson took the flag 1.8 seconds ahead of Harvick, who passed Dale Earnhardt Jr for second late on.
Logano faded to fourth, ahead of brief race leader Matt Kenseth. Pitting for fresh rubber slightly earlier than rivals on a day of extreme tyre wear paid off for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, as he repeatedly gained ground on his out-laps.
Martin Truex Jr, AJ Allmendinger and a great performance by Brett Moffitt, the rookie standing in for Brian Vickers in the Michael Waltrip Toyota for this race only, filled positions six to eight.
Denny Hamlin had been a top-three contender for a long spell and briefly led, but spun after a restart in the final quarter of the race and took Jeff Gordon and Jamie McMurray with him.
RESULTS - 325 LAPS:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 4 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford |
| 5 | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 6 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet |
| 7 | A.J. Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet |
| 8 | Brett Moffitt | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota |
| 9 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford |
| 10 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 11 | Aric Almirola | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford |
| 12 | Carl Edwards | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 13 | Paul Menard | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 14 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 15 | Casey Mears | Germain Racing | Chevrolet |
| 16 | Danica Patrick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet |
| 17 | Regan Smith | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet |
| 18 | David Ragan | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 19 | Trevor Bayne | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 20 | Justin Allgaier | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 21 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford |
| 22 | David Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 23 | Alex Bowman | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet |
| 24 | Clint Bowyer | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota |
| 25 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 26 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet |
| 27 | Michael McDowell | Leavine Family Racing | Ford |
| 28 | Brendan Gaughan | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 29 | Michael Annett | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 30 | Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet |
| 31 | Mike Bliss | Go FAS Racing | Ford |
| 32 | Josh Wise | Phil Parsons Racing | Ford |
| 33 | Joe Nemechek | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 34 | J.J. Yeley | BK Racing | Toyota |
| 35 | Jeb Burton | BK Racing | Toyota |
| 36 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 37 | Cole Whitt | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 38 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 39 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 40 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet |
| 41 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 42 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | The Motorsports Group | Chevrolet |
| 43 | Landon Cassill | Hillman Smith Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| - | Brian Scott | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
LEADING CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER TWO OF 36 ROUNDS:
| Pos | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joey Logano | 88 |
| 2 | Jimmie Johnson | 87 |
| 3 | Kevin Harvick | 86 |
| 4 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 84 |
| 5 | Martin Truex Jr. | 75 |
| 6 | Casey Mears | 68 |
| 7 | Kasey Kahne | 65 |
| 8 | A.J. Allmendinger | 62 |
| 9 | Aric Almirola | 62 |
| 10 | Clint Bowyer | 58 |
| 11 | David Gilliland | 56 |
| 12 | Sam Hornish Jr. | 55 |
| 13 | Greg Biffle | 54 |
| 14 | Carl Edwards | 54 |
| 15 | David Ragan | 53 |
| 16 | Danica Patrick | 51 |
| 17 | Paul Menard | 50 |
| 18 | Matt Kenseth | 49 |
| 19 | Denny Hamlin | 48 |
| 20 | Michael Annett | 47 |
| By Matt Beer | Sunday, March 1st 2015, 17:50 GMT |
Pastor Maldonado's crash in Sunday's Barcelona Formula 1 test was caused by a brake problem rather than any form of driver error, says Lotus.
The team's test was brought to an early end when Maldonado went into the barriers at Turn 4 on the final afternoon of pre-season F1 running.
Lotus technical director Nick Chester underlined that there was nothing Maldonado could do to avoid the accident.
"Pastor was unfortunate to have a braking-related issue which meant he wasn't able to slow sufficiently into Turn 4 and the car was damaged," he said.
"There was nothing Pastor or any driver could have done to avoid this accident, which was systems related, and we're investigating thoroughly to ensure it doesn't happen again.
"It was a pity we weren't able to run any low fuel laps later in the day."
Maldonado ended up seventh on the timesheets due to his curtailed programme, but said he remained very optimistic after Lotus's stronger winter.
"It was a shame to end the day early, but that was the only issue we've had like this during testing so we can look to the positive that we have a lot of information to take the car in the right direction," he said.
"My braking was compromised coming into Turn 4, meaning I went off the track and hit the barriers.
"I was able to brake and slow, just not as much as the maximum otherwise possible.
"The car was not too badly damaged and I am fine, but it's a shame we had this issue as we would have been looking at running the softer tyres in the afternoon and putting in some fast laps.
"I'm looking forward to getting back in the car in Melbourne as I think we have good potential this season."
| By Ben Anderson and Jonathan Noble | Sunday, March 1st 2015, 18:03 GMT |
A bullish Nico Rosberg has no doubts Mercedes will be ready to "nail it" at the Australian Grand Prix, after ending pre-season Formula 1 testing full of confidence.
Having set the fastest time of the winter at Barcelona earlier this week, Rosberg says he has no concerns at all about the potential of the new W06.
"It has been a great winter for us," said the German. "We got off to a running start with not many reliability problems, and have been doing the mileage - which was great and important.
"Now we are able to extract performance from the car.
"I am not 100 per cent happy yet, but we know what we need to do, so that is important.
"And that is why I am sure we will nail it completely in Melbourne."
Rosberg also said that there also a personal psychological boost from having been the fastest overall at Barcelona.
"I am happy to be quickest," he said. "It is better than not being quickest!
"Of course it is not much worth much, but it gives a little bit extra. So it is always useful."
RELIABILITY NOT A MAJOR WORRY
Although Rosberg does not feel that Mercedes can relax totally about its reliability, having had a few problems over the winter, he thinks it is not anything to be seriously concerned about.
When asked about the most worrying aspect of the winter, he said: "Worrying is the reliability, but it is not really a worry.
"It is such a challenge to get these cars perfect for every team. That has been our weakness last year, and that is what we are looking to improve this year.
"We are on the right track, but it is so early in the season and that is one of our biggest challenges."
| By Ben Anderson | Saturday, February 28th 2015, 19:12 GMT |
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes is trying to understand why he and team-mate Nico Rosberg have felt uncomfortable in their car over the past two days of Formula 1 pre-season testing.
Mercedes' pace has shocked F1 rivals at the Barcelona circuit this week, but both drivers have complained about the set-up of the car.
Hamilton spent much of his final day of pre-season testing in the garage while Mercedes crosschecked changes to the car, but he still managed to top the times.
The reigning world champion suspected a shift in circuit conditions might account for the drivers' discomfort, but he said the team was investigating.
"It wasn't particularly a spectacular day," Hamilton said. "I put the lap together, but the track was quite slow compared to the first day.
"We're trying to understand. All of a sudden the car was feeling worse than my first day and we made some changes to understand why, whether something's happened with the track or the tyres.
"The track seems to have lost some grip from the last two days, so it wasn't the best in terms of feeling.
"Nico wasn't comfortable in the car yesterday and I felt the same.
"We think the tyres and the circuit are behaving a little differently these last two days, and we think the track's been half a second to seven tenths slower than the first day."
ILLNESS NO SETBACK
A fever sidelined Hamilton from his first day of driving at last week's Barcelona test, but the Briton said the after effects would not affect his preparations for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
"I should be fine," he added. "The bug's been around - my mum, my sister, my nephew, several of my engineers have it.
"It's just some nasty bug that's going around. I'm kind of on the end of having it, so it hasn't really affected preparations."
| By Lawrence Barretto and Glenn Freeman | Saturday, February 28th 2015, 18:43 GMT |
Nico Hulkenberg believes that Force India's start with its late 2015 car has gone better than the team could have expected.
The VJM08 only hit the track halfway through the second day of the final pre-season test, but Hulkenberg managed more than 200 laps in just a day and a half of running.
When asked if the team expected the car to run so reliably from the off, Hulkenberg said: "No, I think that's a surprise, even to me.
"It's very good that we brought it here and pretty much just shook it out like this.
"It's a surprise to me and the team - to everybody, and obviously it's what we needed."
Hulkenberg admitted that the late debut will inevitably hold the team back in some areas, but he feels it has made a very strong start.
"First impressions are good - yesterday 80 laps straight out of the box and now two and-a-half race distances today," he said.
"No hiccups, no issues - that's very positive. And we were able to do some good and proper work already.
"It's similar to last year's car so straight away we found a good base we can work from.
"I think we've achieved a lot today, and everybody is as happy as you can be."
McLAREN WILL BOUNCE BACK
Force India spent most of 2014 locked in battle with McLaren in the constructors' championship, and Hulkenberg said it would be naive for the team to expect to finish ahead of the Honda-powered team simply because it has struggled so far in testing.
"I don't know where McLaren stand," he said. "Obviously they've had quite a troubled testing period.
"But I also know that a Formula 1 season is very long and a lot can happen in those eight or nine months, so I wouldn't write them off.
"We're not thinking about them at the moment - we're just thinking about ourselves and working on our car."
| By Mitchell Adam | Saturday, February 28th 2015, 20:19 GMT |
Kevin Magnussen wanted to race alongside his father Jan in this year's Le Mans 24 Hours after missing out on a Formula 1 race seat with McLaren.
After learning that he would be relegated to a reserve driver role in F1 to make way for Fernando Alonso, Magnussen explored the possibility of joining his father in Corvette's factory sportscar programme for the June showpiece event.
However, it was too late for the younger Dane to find a seat.
"I asked my dad if he would ask Corvette if there was an available slot," said Magnussen after his first day of F1 testing in 2015 at Barcelona.
"That would be cool to do, team-mates with dad at Le Mans to try to win class, but they had already signed drivers for the car.
"So it will not happen this year, and this year would have been a good opportunity for it to happen.
"I will have to ask him to keep going for another 15 years."
MANOR F1 DRIVE UNLIKELY
The 22-year-old added that he doesn't expect to appear on the F1 grid with the Manor/Marussia team, which still has a vacant seat for this season.
"I think it would be wrong to say no completely, but it is not what I am looking at," Magnussen said.
"We haven't talked to them. It is not like we are jumping at it.
"We are thinking of everything, it's difficult to know what is the best thing for getting back to F1."
Magnussen is still unsure how his 2015 programme will shape up, as he could end up racing in another series alongside his McLaren commitments.
"I got the call quite late that I wasn't racing in F1, so a lot of things were closed already," he said.
"The options are very limited, but I am also not really sure if racing something else is the right thing to do if you want to get back to F1.
"The best thing would be to drive race cars and do races and keep sharp. F1 is tricky these days with not much testing."
