Pre-Qualifying Results | Leon Haslam ends Friday on top of the timesheets
Leon Haslam closed out Friday afternoon at Oulton Park with the fastest lap of the Pre-Qualifying session, giving Moto Rapido Ducati Racing the early bragging rights.
The first Pre-Qualifying outing of the 2025 British Superbike season was cut short when worsening weather conditions brought out the Red Flag, forcing race direction to call time early. Even so, Haslam had already laid down a strong marker before the stoppage, delivering a time that kept him at the head of the leaderboard for the factory-supported Ducati outfit.
Behind him, Christian Iddon showed he has lost none of his momentum from the morning’s running. The AJN Steelstock Kawasaki rider backed up a solid Free Practice One by finishing second on the ZX-10RR, keeping himself firmly in the mix heading into Saturday.
Charlie Nesbitt was another standout on the day. After putting his MasterMac Honda fourth in FP1, he went one better in Pre-Qualifying, slotting into third position and underlining his consistency across both sessions.
Two-time BSB Champion Josh Brookes also kept himself in contention. The Australian, now riding with DAO Racing Honda, delivered enough pace to secure fourth overall and with it, a direct place in Saturday’s Q2.
Raceways Yamaha’s Bradley Ray bounced back after a subdued start earlier in the day. Having struggled in FP1, Ray looked far more comfortable in the mixed afternoon conditions and rounded out the top five by the end of the session.
Further down the order, two riders well-known for their wet-weather skills made sure they booked their Q2 tickets. Fraser Rogers on the TAG Honda and Storm Stacey aboard the Bathams AJN Racing BMW used the damp conditions to their advantage, ending the day in sixth and seventh respectively.
Defending champion Kyle Ryde had a more uneven day. Off the pace in the morning and languishing outside the top ten, the British Superbike Championship leader regrouped and improved in Pre-Qualifying, salvaging eighth place by the flag.
Ninth went to Max Cook, who quietly impressed throughout Friday. Riding for AJN Steelstock Kawasaki, Cook stayed inside the top ten across both sessions, continuing his promising run on the ZX-10RR.
Rounding out the top ten was 2023 champion Tommy Bridewell. Bridewell had looked stronger earlier, finishing second in Free Practice One, but he couldn’t quite replicate that speed in the afternoon and slipped to tenth once Pre-Qualifying came to a close.
Images Moto Rapido
