10 Things You Might Have Missed From Last Weekend's Motorsport Spectacular

Here's a look back at all the motorsport action you might have missed last weekend

18 May 2015

Image source: Vision Sport Agency

There was plenty of on-track motorsport action to catch up with last weekend. Here is a look at what you might have missed, alongside some of the top stories away from the race track:

1. Marquez crowned MotoGP champion

Image source: BBC Sport

Marc Marquez broke a new record last weekend, crossing the line at the MotoGP season finale in Valencia to become the youngest ever world champion in his rookie season.

Jorge Lorenzo won the race and was the only rider who could have stopped the 20-year-old from taking the title. However, third place was enough for Marquez as he wrote his name in the history books.

2. Farewell Felipe

Ferrari's annual World Finals event at the Mugello track in Italy took place last weekend. Thousands of fans packed the main grandstand on Sunday to say farewell to Felipe Massa, who will be replaced by Kimi Raikkonen. The 28-year-old, who won 11 races during his eight-year stint for Ferrari, will move to Williams in 2014.

3. Perez out, Magnussen in at McLaren?

Image source: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

Stories on Kevin Magnussen replacing Sergio Perez at McLaren for next season picked up pace over the weekend. The Dane, who is part of the team's young driver programme, won the Formula Renault 3.5 championship this year and has impressed senior figures within the Woking based outfit.

Perez has had a difficult first season for McLaren with the tricky MP4-28 failing to match pre-season expectations. Several lacklustre performances and some erratic on-track clashes have forced the team to evaluate their options for next season.

4. Flames in Shanghai

Image source: Vision Sport Agency

The World Endurance Championship visited China over the weekend for the six hours of Shanghai. The No.1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro won the race but it was the team in third place, the No.2 Audi of Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Loic Duval, who took the overall WEC Drivers' Championship.

During the race, a fuel rig fire caused some rather scary scenes in the garage of the Lambre Competition team. Fortunately no one was injured and the fire was swiftly put out.

5. Huge Audi R8 Macau crash

The Audi R8 LMS Cup headed to the the Guia Circuit for the 60th Macau Grand Prix - which is spread over two race weekends. Former F1 driver Alex Yoong went into the weekend as championship leader but crashed heavily in qualifying. He walked away unharmed but was forced out for the rest of the event.

6. Podium finish for Loeb on Macau debut

Image source: Porsche Supercup Asia

Making your Macau Grand Prix debut is never easy, but competing in wet and treacherous conditions makes it even trickier. Sebastien Loeb impressively managed to tackle the tight and twisty street circuit to finish the Porsche Supercup Asia race in second place.

7. Last day at the office

9 of my 12 years in F1 I've walked into this building for work. Today was my last official day. #jag#redbull pic.twitter.com/rJrumvrQY3— Mark Webber (@AussieGrit) November 8, 2013

Mark Webber shared this image just prior to the weekend as he visited the Red Bull Racing factory in Milton Keynes for the last time in his F1 career. Sad times.

8. Out of gas

Image source: Getty Images

Carl Edwards was on course to win the AdvoCare 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday but, awkwardly, ran out of fuel on the last lap. This handed Kevin Harvick his fourth win of the season.

9. Huge crash for Reutimann

David Reutimann made an early exit from the same NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race after suffering a high-speed crash that completely wrecked the back-end of his No. 83 Toyota Camry.

10. Busch takes Nationwide Series victory

Image source: Getty Images

Meanwhile Kyle Busch dominated the ServiceMaster 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Phoenix. He led 168 of the 200 laps on Saturday to take his sixth victory at the Phoenix International Raceway and 12th of the season. Austin Dillon lost second place on the last lap but extended his championship lead with third.