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Honda MotoGP bike “out of control” and “radical” in qualifying – Marquez – MotoGP

Alex Marquez says the Honda feels “out of control” and “a bit more radical” in time attack trim, after the rookie qualified 17th for the MotoGP Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The factory Honda rider has so far failed to lift himself higher than 17th on the grid in the seven rounds run this season, though has proven to have strong race pace with four points-finishes.

His race pace in Saturday’s FP4 – in which he was seventh – was comparable to the likes of Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci and KTM’s Brad Binder around him.

But once again in qualifying on fresh soft rubber, Marquez tumbled down the order, with his best of 1m31.198s just over 1.1 seconds off Maverick Vinales’ pole time.

“We are able to manage the rhythm in a good way and keep it really good, but we are not able to improve one second with the new soft

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Wolff: F1 qualifying mode ban may help Mercedes in races – F1

Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff sees the upcoming ban on qualifying modes as a challenge – and he believes that it will potentially give the team more performance in races.

The FIA wrote to the teams last week informing them of a plan to allow only one mode for qualifying and the race, with details set to be confirmed by a technical directive before the Belgian GP.

The change has been framed by the FIA as an attempt to help its technical staff a better chance of ensuring compliance with the regulations.

It has also been labelled as an attempt to rein in Mercedes, the manufacturer that has traditionally made the biggest performance gains when it matters in qualifying.

“I think the primary goal of the FIA was to implement the rule to better understand and better analyse what is going on with the engines,” said Wolff.

“It’s a

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Automotive
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MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix qualifying – Start time, how to watch & more – MotoGP

MotoGP has set up camp at the Red Bull Ring for a double-header starting this weekend with the Austrian Grand Prix. Here’s how to watch qualifying.

Marc Marquez remains out of action after his second surgery to fix the plate in his broken right arm, with Honda test rider Stefan Bradl stepping in again, but the team hasn’t ruled out the reigning champion returning for the second Red Bull Ring race.

KTM’s Pol Espargaro topped the combined Friday practice timesheet, after FP2 was held in mixed conditions due to a brief rain downpour, to maintain the Austrian brand’s strong form fresh from Brad Binder securing his and the team’s maiden MotoGP race win last time out in the Czech Republic.

Andrea Dovizioso enjoyed a stronger start to his Austrian GP weekend in second place after a nightmare at Brno, but his Ducati future continues to dominate the headlines, with the

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Automotive
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F1 Italian GP qualifying – Start time, how to watch & more



a car parked on the side of a road: Italian GP qualifying: Start time, how to watch & more

© LAT Images
Italian GP qualifying: Start time, how to watch & more

The Formula 1 action continues with the middle leg of the latest triple-header at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix. Here’s how to watch qualifying

With the introduction of the ban on engine ‘party modes’ kicking in this weekend, an even greater interest is being focused on how it could, if at all, shake-up the qualifying pecking order this weekend.

Lewis Hamilton topped Friday’s FP2 having seen Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas lead the morning session, as the German manufacturer dominated the opening day of action at the Italian GP.

Despite an intermittent engine issue during FP2, Lando Norris surged to third place on the timesheet for McLaren to push AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly into fourth place, with the French driver continuing to impress this season.

Max Verstappen could only manage fifth for Red Bull but ahead of Carlos

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Automotive
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Hamilton fears repeat of qualifying traffic “nightmare” for Italian GP – F1

Lewis Hamilton fears there will be a repeat of the traffic “nightmare” from 2019 in qualifying at Monza tomorrow, with drivers bunching up in an effort to get a tow.

Last year the top 10 runners slowed each other to such an extent that only McLaren driver Carlos Sainz was able to get round in time to start his final lap in Q3.

Today FIA race director Michael Masi issued a warning about drivers running too slowly, and indicated that there would be a minimum out lap time in FP3 and qualifying in an effort to encourage drivers to get a move on.

“It was difficult in the past, and obviously we didn’t even get to do the last lap last year,” said Hamilton.

“It’s going to be interesting – I heard they might put in a minimum time that we have to do an out lap, maybe that will

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Automotive
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Haas: Lack of pace in F1 Spanish GP qualifying “a mystery” – F1

Haas Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean says his lack of pace in Spanish Grand Prix qualifying is “a bit of a mystery” after showing “genuine” pace in Friday practice.

Grosjean and team-mate Kevin Magnussen both failed to get through Q1, with the Danish driver starting in 16th, one place ahead of Grosjean.

The result is on par with their previous qualifying performances in 2020, but after a promising Friday the pair were hoping for much more.

Grosjean was an impressive fifth in FP2, but after an overnight engine change he struggled to improve on that time.

While Haas’ midfield rivals all found plenty of pace, Grosjean only managed a 1m18.089s in Q1, reporting a lot of understeer.

The Frenchman says his understeer issues and the subsequent lack of pace were “a bit of a mystery”.

“From FP3 I just felt like the car didn’t quite react the same way,” Grosjean

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Automotive
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Hamilton “wanted clean air” in Spa F1 qualifying despite “small” tow advantage – F1

Lewis Hamilton was determined he “just wanted clean air” to blitz Formula 1 qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix, despite acknowledging a “small gain” from getting a tow at Spa.

Hamilton ran at the head of the pack on both of the Q3 flying efforts, setting a new lap record each time as he stormed to his sixth pole at the track, with Valtteri Bottas second ahead of Max Verstappen.

Other teams opted to position their cars in the pack to try and gain the advantage of a tow – with Verstappen explaining, “for us it was all about trying to get a little bit of a tow to have a bit of top speed,” – which led to drivers backing up heavily before starting their timed laps.

Hamilton explained that avoiding that chaos, which had an impact on tyre temperature at the start of the lap, was an important

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Automotive
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F1 qualifying engine mode ban postponed to Italian GP – F1

The FIA clampdown on Formula 1 teams usage of qualifying engine modes has been postponed until the Italian Grand Prix, instead of next weekend’s Belgian GP as originally intended.

The concession has been made to allow engine manufacturers more time to conduct dyno testing before they head into a race weekend committed to the new restrictions.

The move to a single mode for qualifying and the race was first outlined in a letter sent to the teams by the FIA’s secretary general for motor sport Peter Bayer ahead of last week’s Spanish GP.

Under the heading “power unit ICE modes – reduction of the scope of adjustability between qualifying and the race” Bayer explained that the FIA would restrict modes via a technical directive that would be issued prior to the Belgian GP.

Justification for the change was given with reference to two separate regulations.

The first was Article 2.7

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Automotive
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MotoGP Andalusian Grand Prix qualifying – Start time, how to watch & more – MotoGP

For the first time in MotoGP history, the series is hosting back to back races at the same circuit in the same season. Here’s how to watch qualifying.

After a dramatic opening race in which Fabio Quartararo secured his maiden MotoGP victory while Marc Marquez suffered a broken arm in a crash, it is time to do it all over again at Jerez as the circuit hosts consecutive grands prix behind closed doors as part of the COVID-19 calendar reshuffle.

LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami has become the surprise early leader after Friday practice ahead of Avintia Ducati’s Johann Zarco – with the French rider having an eventful session after catching out former KTM team-mate Pol Espargaro while touring in the braking zone for Turn 2 which forced the Spaniard into the gravel.

In a shaken-up running order, with most riders focusing on long run pace given the bank of data

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Automotive
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Marco Andretti leads Honda rout on opening day of Indianapolis 500 qualifying

Jenna Fryer
 |  The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Marco Andretti led a Honda rout on the first day of Indianapolis 500 qualifying — a session dominated by Andretti Autosport and Honda as Team Penske was shut out of pole contention.

Andretti posted a four-lap average of 231.351 mph to top the speed chart Saturday ahead of teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alexander Rossi and James Hinchcliffe. The fastest nine advance to a Sunday shootout that determines the first three rows for the Indianapolis 500.

The Andretti organization grabbed four of the slots and Honda drivers took eight of nine overall.

“Honda brought it this year,” Andretti said. “I was able to just go out and do my job and, man, when it all comes together, it is just beautiful.”

Hunter-Reay was second, Rossi third and Hinchcliffe fourth in the Andretti sweep.

“To be one-through-four is pretty unheard of,” Rossi acknowledged.

Andretti Autosport

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Automotive