Wet Conditions Force British Superbike Schedule Changes Ahead of Busy Saturday in Scotland

The opening day of action at Knockhill delivered plenty of drama as persistent wet weather played a major role in proceedings during the latest round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

Heavy rain throughout Friday left riders facing difficult track conditions at Scotland’s shortest and most demanding circuit, creating an unpredictable start to the weekend. While Josh Brookes and Storm Stacey emerged as the pace-setters in the two Superbike practice sessions, organisers were ultimately forced to postpone Friday’s planned Pre-Qualifying session.

The revised timetable means fans can now look forward to an action-packed “Super Scottish Saturday”, with additional British Superbike track time added to the schedule and significantly improved weather conditions expected.

Brookes Sets the Benchmark in Tight FP1 Session

Australian Veteran Leads Closely-Matched Field

The first British Superbike session of the weekend saw former champion Josh Brookes adapt quickest to the challenging conditions.

Despite the soaked circuit, lap times were remarkably close around the 1.27-mile Knockhill layout, where even the smallest mistake can prove costly. The Australian produced a best lap that placed him at the top of the timesheets, although the incredibly competitive nature of the session was highlighted by the fact that the top 19 riders were separated by less than one second.

Brookes managed to create a gap of almost two tenths of a second to Fraser Rogers, who enjoyed one of his strongest practice performances of the season by securing second place.

Jason O’Halloran completed the top three after showing impressive confidence in the wet conditions.

The session underlined just how competitive the 2026 British Superbike field has become, with riders from multiple teams and manufacturers featuring near the front of the order.

Championship Contenders Keep Their Powder Dry

While several riders pushed hard for outright pace, many of the championship protagonists focused primarily on gathering information in the difficult conditions.

Current title favourite Bradley Ray ended the session eighth fastest and comfortably positioned among the leading group. Given the unpredictable weather and limited grip available, the Yamaha rider appeared more interested in building confidence than chasing headline lap times.

Defending champion Kyle Ryde, former World Superbike race winner Scott Redding and experienced veteran Leon Haslam all finished towards the lower end of the top twenty.

With weather conditions expected to improve dramatically over the remainder of the weekend, Friday’s timesheets may ultimately have little bearing on the battles that matter most when qualifying and racing begin.

Storm Stacey Masters the Conditions in FP2

Only Rider to Break the 52-Second Barrier

As conditions remained wet for the second Superbike session of the day, Storm Stacey emerged as the standout performer.

The Bathams AJN Racing rider looked comfortable throughout FP2 and became the only competitor capable of lapping beneath the 52-second mark.

His pace proved particularly impressive given that overall lap times were slower than those recorded during the morning session.

Stacey’s performance highlighted both his confidence in wet conditions and the continued progress being made by his team throughout the season.

Ryan Vickers finished second fastest after another strong showing, while former Moto3 World Champion Danny Kent completed the top three.

Ilya Mikhalchik and local favourite Rory Skinner rounded out the top five, ensuring a diverse mix of manufacturers occupied the leading positions.

Ray Remains Consistent as Top Ten Takes Shape

Behind the leading five riders, the battle for places inside the top ten remained fiercely competitive.

Charlie Nesbitt continued his strong form by securing sixth place, ahead of championship leader Bradley Ray in seventh.

Jason O’Halloran once again featured prominently, finishing eighth, while Christian Iddon and Joe Talbot completed the top ten.

The consistency shown by Ray across both sessions will likely encourage his team heading into the dry conditions expected on Saturday, where the championship contenders are expected to reveal their true pace.

Knockhill’s Unique Challenge Continues to Test Riders

Scotland’s Shortest Circuit Demands Precision

Knockhill has long been regarded as one of the most distinctive circuits on the British Superbike calendar.

Its short lap means riders encounter traffic quickly, while the combination of blind crests, rapid elevation changes and tight braking zones creates a constant challenge.

Wet conditions only magnify those difficulties.

Visibility becomes limited, grip levels vary significantly around the lap and overtaking opportunities become increasingly risky. As a result, many riders spent Friday focusing on setup work and understanding tyre performance rather than chasing ultimate lap times.

With dry weather forecast for Saturday, teams will now face the additional challenge of quickly adapting their motorcycles to completely different track conditions.

Pre-Qualifying Postponed as Organisers Prioritise Safety

Revised Schedule Creates “Super Scottish Saturday”

The biggest development of the day came when organisers confirmed the postponement of the planned British Superbike Pre-Qualifying session.

As weather conditions continued to deteriorate during Friday afternoon, officials made the decision to avoid unnecessarily extending the day’s running.

The move was taken with rider safety, marshal welfare and operational considerations all taken into account.

British Superbike Series Director Stuart Higgs explained that the sessions completed up to that point were classified as free practice, allowing organisers greater flexibility when making scheduling decisions.

Track staff and marshals continued working throughout the afternoon to improve conditions, particularly around kerbs and key braking zones where standing water remained a concern.

Rather than forcing teams and officials to remain on site later into the evening, the decision was made to transfer Pre-Qualifying into Saturday’s programme.

Dry Conditions Expected for Packed Saturday Schedule

Extra Track Time Awaits Riders and Fans

The revised timetable now promises one of the busiest days of the season.

British Superbike Free Practice 3 will begin the day’s action before riders head directly into Pre-Qualifying and the remainder of the competitive sessions.

Forecasts suggest significantly improved weather conditions, potentially giving teams their first opportunity of the weekend to fully evaluate dry-weather race pace.

For riders who excelled in the wet, the challenge will be maintaining their advantage as grip levels increase.

For championship contenders such as Bradley Ray, Kyle Ryde and Leon Haslam, Saturday could provide a more accurate indication of the competitive order heading into race day.

With qualifying positions, championship points and valuable momentum all at stake, the Scottish crowd can look forward to a packed programme of action.

Friday Belongs to Brookes and Stacey

Although the weather prevented the full schedule from running as planned, Friday still provided several important storylines.

Josh Brookes demonstrated his wet-weather expertise by leading FP1, while Storm Stacey delivered one of the standout performances of the season so far by topping FP2.

However, with dry conditions expected and Pre-Qualifying still to come, the real picture of the weekend’s competitive order remains unclear.

What is certain is that Knockhill is set for an action-packed Saturday, with riders, teams and fans preparing for one of the busiest and potentially most important days of the 2026 British Superbike season.

Images: MSVR and DAO Racing