The British Superbikes Showdown kicked off its Donington Park round with Kyle Ryde setting the fastest time on Friday by leading the Pre-Qualifying session and securing a direct path to Q2. The championship leader clocked a 1’26.863s lap on his Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions Ducati, coming close to the lap record on his first day back in action.
Scott Redding, riding for Hager PBM Ducati, remained in close contention, finishing just 0.169 seconds behind Ryde. Max Cook surged into third place late in the session for AJN Steelstock bimota, with both Ryde and Redding joined in the top three by Cook, confident enough to stay in the pits as the chequered flag waved. Bradley Ray emerged as the top Yamaha rider, narrowly grabbing fourth place for McAMS, followed closely by Honda’s Ryan Vickers in fifth. Danny Kent, the newly minted father, posted the sixth fastest time early in Pre-Qualifying to conserve tires ahead of FP3.
Leon Haslam, who experienced mechanical troubles and setup changes throughout the day’s sessions, managed to claim seventh for Moto Rapido Ducati, rounding out the Showdown contenders alongside Ray, Vickers, Redding, and Ryde. Rory Skinner and Christian Iddon secured eighth and ninth for Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha and Sencat Yamaha respectively, while Lee Jackson completed the top ten for DAO Racing Honda.
Among rookies, Ilya Mikhalchik impressed as the quickest newcomer, finishing 11th on the sole BMW entry, just ahead of Glenn Irwin in 12th. Joe Talbot, bimota’s promising rookie, narrowly missed direct entry to Q2, falling to 13th after Haslam’s late lap, but remains eager to advance through Q1 after resolving bike issues.
Josh Brookes, who showed promise earlier, ended up 15th and missed progressing, as did Jason O’Halloran in 14th. Storm Stacey had a tough session, placing 18th.
Official Donington Park lap records stand at a BSB lap record of 1’26.832s set by Glenn Irwin in 2025, and a pole record of 1’26.123s by Kyle Ryde during Q2 this year.
Throughout Free Practice 2, Redding and Vickers swapped the top two spots, with Redding setting the pace late in the session. Ryde held third, choosing to stay in the garage during the final minutes. Cook and Ray rounded out the top five, while O’Halloran gained ground to sixth. Rookie Ilya Mikhalchik continued to stand out in 11th, though Eugene McManus fell at the Old Hairpin. Josh Brookes struggled with bike setup and tire issues, finishing 19th, and Leon Haslam failed to set a timed lap.
During Free Practice 1, Ryan Vickers posted the best time, followed closely by Scott Redding. Josh Brookes returned to form in third, with Max Cook and Glenn Irwin completing the top five despite Irwin’s early crash. Kyle Ryde was sixth, while Storm Stacey, Bradley Ray, Rory Skinner, and Lee Jackson made up the remainder of the top ten. Both Mikhalchik and Talbot, the leading rookies, ended the session in the pits.
Fan Take:
This round at Donington Park showcases a thrilling battle shaping up between seasoned champions and emerging talents, emphasizing the intense competition at the top of British Superbikes. For fans, watching riders like Kyle Ryde and Scott Redding push the limits hints at an electrifying finale to the season, while the strong rookie performances promise fresh excitement for the future of the sport.
Source: www.crash.net
