Ducati Rider Tops Opening Day While Kyle Ryde and Max Cook Close In Ahead of Qualifying
The 2026 Bennetts British Superbike Championship returned to the legendary Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit with an action-packed opening day, as Scott Redding emerged as the rider to beat after finishing fastest in Friday’s Practice Qualifying session.
Representing Hager PBM Ducati, the former British Superbike Champion delivered a superb display of speed and confidence, requiring just a handful of laps to secure the quickest time of the day. His impressive pace came after an equally competitive performance across the two free practice sessions, where several title contenders traded fastest laps throughout an eventful afternoon.
Behind Redding, reigning champion Kyle Ryde recovered from technical issues to finish just 0.035 seconds adrift, while Max Cook continued the impressive progress of the AJN Steelstock Bimota project with another front-running performance.
The opening day also featured crashes, mechanical problems and a number of encouraging comeback performances as the battle for direct progression into Saturday’s Q2 intensified.
Redding Makes Early Statement at Brands Hatch
Ducati Rider Finds Immediate Pace
Scott Redding wasted little time showing his intentions for the weekend.
After running strongly throughout Friday’s practice sessions, the Ducati rider produced a stunning lap of 1:24.601 during Practice Qualifying to finish at the top of the timesheets.
Remarkably, Redding only completed five laps during the session before returning to the pits, confident that his second flying lap would remain unbeaten.
His confidence proved fully justified.
As rivals continued pushing throughout the remainder of the session, nobody managed to improve on the benchmark time, giving the Hager PBM Ducati rider the psychological advantage heading into Saturday.
The result also underlined Ducati’s continuing strength around the flowing Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, a venue that rewards confidence on corner entry and strong acceleration onto the circuit’s numerous uphill sections.
Free Practice One
Cook Edges Out Ryde in Closely Contested Opening Session
Friday morning’s opening practice session focused largely on machine setup as teams worked to establish the best base settings for the demanding Kent circuit.
For much of the session, Scott Redding looked set to finish quickest after consistently running at the top of the leaderboard while completing several long runs on used tyres.
However, the closing minutes brought a dramatic change.
Max Cook bolted on fresh tyres during the final four minutes and immediately jumped to the top of the standings after extracting the maximum performance from his AJN Steelstock Bimota.
Kyle Ryde finished just 0.014 seconds behind Cook despite completing his entire session on a single set of tyres, concentrating on race pace rather than outright qualifying performance.
The reigning champion’s strategy suggested there may still be considerably more pace available once fresh rubber is fitted later in the weekend.
Redding ultimately slipped back to third after spending almost twenty minutes in the garage before returning to improve his own lap time on used tyres.
Yamaha and Honda Show Encouraging Pace
Bradley Ray Leads Yamaha Challenge
Former British Superbike Champion Bradley Ray led the Yamaha contingent during the opening session with fourth place for McAMS Racing.
Leon Haslam improved during the closing stages to complete the top five aboard the Moto Rapido Ducati.
Ryan Vickers headed Honda’s challenge in sixth position for Honda Racing UK, while BMW newcomer Ilya Mikhalchik enjoyed another impressive session by placing seventh overall.
The Ukrainian was the fastest rookie and also the final rider within half a second of Cook’s benchmark lap.
Early Technical Problems Disrupt Several Riders
Mechanical Issues and Crashes Interrupt Practice
Not everyone enjoyed a smooth start to the weekend.
Joe Talbot managed only four laps before his Bimota suffered engine problems, forcing his team into an engine change ahead of the afternoon session.
Lee Jackson also experienced technical trouble after stopping on Cooper Straight, limiting him to just seven laps during FP1.
Rhys Irwin’s session ended prematurely when his machine developed problems approaching Hawthorn Bend.
The first significant incident came when Charlie Nesbitt crashed at Surtees with around twenty minutes remaining.
A more serious accident followed shortly afterwards.
Graeme Irwin crashed heavily at Paddock Hill Bend, bringing out the red flags while medical crews attended to the experienced rider before transporting him to the medical centre for precautionary assessment.
Despite the interruption, Glenn Irwin completed an encouraging return from injury by finishing tenth in his first competitive session back, while Luke Hedger, also returning after an extended absence from the championship, placed 16th.
Free Practice Two
Redding Uses Ryde’s Pace to Find Extra Speed
The afternoon’s second practice session belonged to Scott Redding.
In an interesting tactical move, the Ducati rider spent two laps closely following Kyle Ryde, studying the reigning champion’s lines before immediately improving his own lap time.
The strategy paid off perfectly.
Redding ended FP2 comfortably fastest after setting another impressive benchmark, gathering valuable information about both his own machine and Ryde’s riding style around Brands Hatch.
Ryde remained second quickest, although this time he finished 0.445 seconds behind the Ducati rider after posting his fastest lap while running ahead of Redding.
The gap suggested the Ducati package held a slight advantage over a single flying lap heading into qualifying.
Strong Improvements Across the Field
Haslam and Glenn Irwin Move Forward
Leon Haslam continued making progress by climbing to third place after moving up the order midway through the session.
Danny Kent enjoyed one of the biggest improvements of the afternoon.
After a relatively quiet FP1, the Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha rider leapt ten positions to finish fourth while becoming the fastest Yamaha rider of the session.
Glenn Irwin also continued building confidence after injury, improving to fifth place and demonstrating encouraging pace ahead of qualifying.
Once again, Mikhalchik impressed by finishing seventh and remaining the leading rookie.
Bradley Ray slipped to eighth despite remaining the fastest McAMS Yamaha rider overall, ending the session almost one second adrift of Redding’s benchmark.
No Major Crashes but Plenty of Drama
Brookes Visits Gravel While Nesbitt Sits Out
Unlike the morning session, FP2 passed without any significant crashes.
Josh Brookes briefly ran through the gravel while searching for improved pace but managed to avoid falling and continued without damage.
Charlie Nesbitt did not participate after aggravating the hand injury he sustained during the opening practice session.
His TAG Honda team instead focused on preparing the motorcycle for Practice Qualifying later in the day.
Practice Qualifying
Redding Tops Times Despite Minimal Running
Friday concluded with the all-important Practice Qualifying session, which determined the riders progressing directly into Saturday’s second qualifying session.
Scott Redding once again proved untouchable.
After setting his quickest lap almost immediately, the Ducati rider remained in the garage while the rest of the field attempted to improve.
His gamble paid off perfectly.
Ryde Overcomes Suspension Problems
Shock Change Unlocks Performance
Kyle Ryde’s second-place finish was arguably one of the stories of the day.
The reigning champion encountered suspension problems after a rear shock failure forced his Nitrous Competitions team into a hurried setup change.
The solution came courtesy of teammate Glenn Irwin, whose harder specification rear shock was fitted to Ryde’s Ducati.
The adjustment transformed the bike.
Ryde immediately found additional speed and closed to within just 0.035 seconds of Redding by the chequered flag, suggesting Saturday’s qualifying battle could become extremely close.
Cook Continues Bimota Progress
Red Flag Helps Team Fine-Tune Setup
Max Cook completed another excellent day by securing third position.
His AJN Steelstock Bimota team took full advantage of the red flag interruption to make setup changes, allowing Cook to return with improved pace and comfortably secure direct progression into Q2.
Bradley Ray finished fourth to lead Yamaha’s challenge once again, while Leon Haslam recovered from an interrupted session to round out the top five.
Haslam had barely left the pit lane before the red flag was shown but immediately found rhythm once the session resumed, steadily improving throughout the closing laps.
Talbot Reclaims Rookie Honours
Young Bimota Rider Recovers Brilliantly
Joe Talbot bounced back impressively after missing much of FP1.
Following the earlier engine change, the rookie completed thirteen laps during Practice Qualifying—the joint second-highest lap total of the session—and climbed to sixth overall.
His performance restored his position as leading rookie while securing a valuable place in Saturday’s Q2.
Christian Iddon finished seventh after continuing setup work on the Sencat Yamaha, ahead of Glenn Irwin in eighth and Storm Stacey in ninth.
Ilya Mikhalchik completed the top ten for BMW after another consistent performance.
Final Q2 Positions Decided
Vickers Holds Off Skinner
Danny Kent narrowly missed the top ten by finishing 11th, while Ryan Vickers claimed the final automatic Q2 position in 12th and remained Honda’s fastest rider.
Rory Skinner came close to denying Vickers late in the session.
The Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha rider steadily improved after a delayed start and produced several personal best sector times during his final run but ultimately remained just over two tenths short of progressing.
Former Champions Face Saturday Fightback
Brookes and Jackson Miss Direct Progression
Friday proved frustrating for DAO Racing.
Nineteen-time Brands Hatch winner Josh Brookes could manage only 15th after struggling to find the ideal setup, one place behind teammate Lee Jackson.
Both riders will now face the additional challenge of Qualifying One on Saturday morning.
Jason O’Halloran also encountered technical problems after stopping at Druids with mechanical issues aboard his Honda.
Luke Hedger’s crash at Stirling’s brought out the only red flag of the session, although the returning rider escaped injury.
Charlie Nesbitt exceeded expectations simply by taking part after his earlier crash aggravated the hand injury sustained at Snetterton.
Despite the discomfort, the TAG Honda rider completed the session before finishing 22nd.
Top 12 Progressing Directly to Q2
- Scott Redding (Hager PBM Ducati)
- Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Competitions Ducati)
- Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Bimota)
- Bradley Ray (McAMS Yamaha)
- Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati)
- Joe Talbot (AJN Steelstock Bimota)
- Christian Iddon (Sencat Yamaha)
- Glenn Irwin (Nitrous Competitions Ducati)
- Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing)
- Ilya Mikhalchik (ROKiT BMW Motorrad)
- Danny Kent (Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha)
- Ryan Vickers (Honda Racing UK)
Saturday Set for Fierce Qualifying Battle
Friday’s action confirmed that Brands Hatch is once again delivering one of the most competitive rounds of the 2026 Bennetts British Superbike Championship.
Scott Redding heads into qualifying with the momentum after topping Practice Qualifying, but the tiny gap to Kyle Ryde suggests pole position remains far from decided.
Max Cook has continued Bimota’s impressive resurgence, while Bradley Ray, Leon Haslam and Glenn Irwin have all demonstrated enough pace to challenge at the front.
With several experienced race winners still needing to fight through Qualifying One, Saturday promises another intense chapter in what is rapidly becoming one of the closest British Superbike seasons in recent years.
Images: Hager PBM Ducati, AJN Bimota, Nitrous Competitions Racing
