British Superbike action roared back into life at Oulton Park over the Bank Holiday weekend, and it was Leon Haslam who stole the spotlight. The experienced rider topped the time sheets on Saturday to set the tone for the opening race of the 2025 season.
Haslam Breaks the Lap Record
Riding for the Moto Rapido Ducati team, Haslam wasted no time establishing himself as the one to beat. After going quickest in FP1, the #91 rider returned in Free Practice 2 to lower his own benchmark, clocking a stunning 1m 33.283s lap—setting a new lap record in the process.
The lap came after a flurry of purple sectors, with Haslam looking composed and confident throughout. While others faced reliability issues or struggled to find a rhythm, Haslam appeared to pick up right where he left off, clearly benefitting from Ducati’s strong offseason preparations.
Ray Narrowly Misses Out
Bradley Ray, who had topped the recent pre-season test at the same circuit, was again right in the mix. Riding for Raceways Yamaha, Ray pushed Haslam all the way, but ultimately came up just 0.041s short of reclaiming the lap record he briefly held. Despite a late push that included purple sectors of his own, Ray had to settle for second, mirroring his result from FP1.
Nesbitt Recovers Strongly After Technical Glitch
Charlie Nesbitt endured a frustrating start to FP2 when an issue with his MasterMac Honda caused the rear wheel to lock. After missing a large chunk of the session, he managed to regroup impressively. Latching onto the back of Glenn Irwin, Nesbitt built up momentum before launching a final lap that propelled him into third overall—a remarkable turnaround given his earlier problems.
Kyle Ryde Bounces Back
Kyle Ryde had a quiet start to the day, plagued by technical gremlins in FP1. However, the reigning champion found his groove in FP2 aboard the OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha. After sorting out setup issues, Ryde posted a strong lap to secure fourth on the combined timesheets, looking far more like his championship-winning self.
Irwin Makes Late Charge
Glenn Irwin had a difficult FP1, managing only four laps and ending the session languishing in 18th. His FP2 started with urgency, as he knew he had ground to make up. Despite an early attempt to break into the Q2 positions, a red flag for a late crash temporarily scuppered his efforts. With just five minutes left after the restart, Irwin surged through traffic, overtaking Nesbitt, Brookes, and Jackson to finish the day in fifth.
DAO Racing Duo Secure Top Seven Finishes
Josh Brookes was another rider who timed his run well. Riding for DAO Racing, Brookes stayed near the front for most of FP2 and finished sixth overall. His teammate Lee Jackson followed closely, putting in a consistent performance to slot into seventh place. The DAO Racing Hondas look well-balanced heading into Sunday.
Stacey Saved by FP1 Lap
Storm Stacey’s FP1 time was good enough for third earlier in the day, and it proved crucial. The Bathams AJN Racing BMW rider had a tough FP2, in and out of the pits while the team chased a clutch issue. Eventually, the problem was traced to the gearbox, leaving the mechanics with a long night of repairs. Fortunately, Stacey’s earlier effort was enough to secure eighth on the combined sheet.
Kent and Iddon Round Out the Top Ten
Danny Kent was another rider dealing with mechanical woes. After an engine change between sessions, the McAMS Yamaha rider bounced back with a solid performance to place ninth. Christian Iddon, riding for AJN Steelstock Kawasaki, had to deal with an oil leak discovered in FP1. Once resolved, he climbed into the top ten by the end of FP2.
Bridewell Scrapes In, Cook Impresses Late On
Tommy Bridewell endured a tense end to FP2. The Honda Racing UK rider spent the final minutes teetering on the edge of the top twelve but held on to finish 12th—just inside the crucial Q2 cutoff. Max Cook, his teammate at AJN Steelstock Kawasaki, made a late dash to secure 11th, just ahead of Bridewell.
Skinner Just Misses Out
Rory Skinner was the unfortunate rider to miss out, finishing 13th despite steady improvement through the day. Riding for Cheshire Mouldings Ducati, his efforts fell just short, meaning he’ll start Sunday’s qualifying in Q1.
Top Rookie and Fallers
Scott Swann continued to impress as the top rookie, finishing 14th and gaining valuable track time. John McPhee rounded out the top 17 after a quiet day.
The session wasn’t without incidents. Andrew Irwin suffered a fall at Lodge while still in 19th. Though he was able to get back out and improve to 15th, it was a disrupted session. Blaze Baker, a newcomer to the grid, also crashed early and ended the day 25th.
A red flag was thrown with five minutes remaining to clear the track after Davey Todd crashed at the Shell Oils hairpin. He finished 20th.
Combined FP1 + FP2: Direct to Q2
- Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati) – 1m 33.283s
- Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) – 1m 33.324s
- Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) – 1m 33.730s
- Kyle Ryde (OMG Racing Yamaha) – 1m 33.851s
- Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) – 1m 33.860s
- Josh Brookes (DAO Racing Honda) – 1m 33.907s
- Lee Jackson (DAO Racing Honda) – 1m 33.938s
- Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN BMW) – 1m 33.997s
- Danny Kent (McAMS Yamaha) – 1m 34.010s
- Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) – 1m 34.065s
- Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) – 1m 34.072s
- Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) – 1m 34.091s
Up next: Q1 and Q2 sessions on Sunday, with riders outside the top twelve now facing an early test to fight their way into the grid’s front rows. With mechanical issues still looming for some teams, overnight fixes could be the difference between a front-runner and a midfield struggle.
