Indianapolis MotoGP
Date: 29-30 August
Saturday 29 August: Qualifying: 1750-2100, online. 125cc live on Freeview, d-sat and d-cable. 250cc and MotoGP qualifying online, repeated on Freeview channel 302 from 0100 BST Sunday. Sunday 30 August: 1650-1805: 125cc and 250cc on all platforms. Race live: 1945-2100, BBC Three/online, repeated on iplayer
 Espargaro has not even had a regular lower-class ride this year |
Spain's Aleix Espargaro has been handed a two-race chance in MotoGP as a result of Casey Stoner's sick leave. With Mika Kallio filling in for Stoner at Ducati, there is a vacancy at the Pramac team, and the 20-year-old former 125cc rider has been drafted in. It is an amazing change of fortune for Espargaro, who was without a regular ride in any class this year but caught the eye deputising in the 250cc class. He will ride at Indianapolis at the end of the month and also at San Marino. Former world champion Stoner lies third in the championship standings behind Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, but will not race again until October as he aims to resolve an on-going health problem.  | 606: DEBATE |
Kallio made a memorable if unsuccessful debut as Stoner's stand-in at the Czech Grand Prix, crashing in spectacular fashion in qualifying and then colliding with Marco Melandri in the closing stages of Sunday's race, putting them both out of contention. Michel Fabrizio was Pramac's substitute rider then, but he is unavailable for the next two races, handing Espargaro his chance.
| 
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Bookmark with:
What are these?