2025 British Superbikes: Brands Hatch - Qualifying Results

British Superbikes qualifying for the fifth round at Brands Hatch saw Bradley Ray claim pole sat in the pits as his rivals ventured out on track after a red flag to chase his time.

Coming off another dominant performance at Knockhill, securing that pole and two of the three wins, Ray started his Brands Hatch BSB journey with the best time on Friday, going on to top the morning FP3 session.

The Raceways Yamaha rider was already in provisional pole by the time the track action was halted, after heading to the top of the timesheets, taking a lap to regroup, before his next push lead to an impressive 1m 24.418s lap.

The home rider has never won at Brands Hatch in the BSB class or featured on the podium, including missing out in all six attempts in his 2022 winning season, but will be well placed to change all that from the top slot on the grid.

The rain was spitting for Q2, but that was not the cause of the delay - the red flag was in effect after a small part fell from Kyle Ryde’s Yamaha, landing in the middle of the track.

The OMG Nitrous Competitions rider had needed to use the FP3 session before qualifying to check his bike, the after a very late fall from his Yamaha on Friday while trying to perfect Stirlings.

In fifth at the time of the delay the reigning champion went back out with the piece still missing with no time for alterations, and benefitted from his own delay - on the limit with his foot off the peg and leg dangling wildly, Ryde was the only rider to improve - moving to second - 0.444s behind Ray’s pole lap.

Scott Redding, at PBM after joining to replace the injured Glenn Irwin, had been in second on his Ducati despite his last Brands visit being back in his title winning season of 2019. Shadowing Ryde on his improvement lap, the rider, now a #4 with his usual #45 in use, was in the tow and looking to improve himself before running deep while following for a still impressive third and a front row start.

• 2025 British Superbikes: Brands Hatch - Practice Results
• Scott Redding adapts to BSB: “When I’m in auto-pilot, I do a hand-stand!"

Christian Iddon had shown front row pace on Friday and came close, just five thousandths slower than Redding as the top Kawasaki for AJN Steelstock.

Danny Kent was a solid fifth for MCAMS Yamaha, with Tommy Bridewell late out of the pits on his way to sixth and the top Honda on the grid.

Both Rory Skinner, a winner at Knockhill, breaking the dominance of Ray and Leon Haslam, the only other rider to claim a win this season,  bailed out of their laps after the red flag, leaving Skinner seventh for Cheshire Mouldings Ducati and Haslam eighth for the Moto Rapido Team.

Max Cook was the first out after the red flag and lead around the train of riders, but to no avail, staying ninth for AJN Steelstock Kawasaki, with Josh Brookes the best of the riders from Q1 - the DAO Racing rider had only just missed out on an automatic Q2 place and made the most of his second chance to complete the top ten.

Official British Superbike Brands Hatch Records:

Lap record: Tommy Bridewell (Honda, 2024) 1m 24.767s

Brands Hatch in 2024:

Round 6:

Qualifying: 1 Vickers (2 Kent, 3 G. Irwin)

Race 1: 1 Vickers (2 Bridewell, 3 A. Irwin)

Race 2: 1 Vickers (2 Bridewell, 3 Ryde)

Race 3: 1 Vickers (2 Iddon, 3 Ryde)

Round 11 (Showdown):

Qualifying: 1 Vickers (2 Jackson, 3 Brookes)
Race1: 1 Kent (2 Vickers, 3 Bridewell)

Race 2: 1 Bridewell (2 Ryde, 3 Vickers)

Race 3: 1 Ryde (2 Bridewell, 3 Vickers)

Q1 - No Stacey as Brookes marches on

Of the potential progression riders it was Brookes who moved on with the best time, joined in a Q2 appearance by Knockhill podium finisher Fraser Rogers (14th) . Scott Swann (15th) took the third spot, but crashed at Sheene Curve late in Q1 so did not appear in the second session.

A frustrated Luke Hedger was shuffled out after moving into the top three in the final five minutes, just missing out the Whitecliffe CDH Racing Honda rider will line up 16th for race one.

John McPhee also flirted with the progression slots for MasterMac Honda on his way to fifth in the session for 17th.

Davey Todd made steps in the right direction on his LEW 8Ten Racing BMW for sixth on Q1, while Blaze Baker had one of his best sessions since joining the class, eighth for NP Racing Honda, the South African was a much closer 1.487s off the lead time.

Storm Stacey was on his third engine of the weekend after not being able to get out in the earlier FP3 session. The Bathams AJN Racing BMW rider was still in his top hat in pit lane as the fifteen minutes got underway for Q1 as his mechanics worked on the bike, with a back of the grid start looming and no time set at the chequered flag.