2025 British Superbikes: Assen - Practice Results

There was a change of scenery for British Superbikes with the paddock making the crossing to the Netherlands as the first round of The Showdown got underway in Assen, with Bradley Ray treating both sessions on the opening day in the same way.

The Raceways Yamaha rider got in some solid laps in both sessions, before returning to the pits - coming back out in the final ten minutes to put in a series of ever improving laps, with the best of 1m 36.186s coming in the final minute of FP2 to lead the BSB riders with the top time to head directly to Q2.

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It was again Scott Redding, as it had been in FP1, who was closest to the best lap finishing just 0.099s slower for Hager PBM Ducati on a track where both riders have more recent experience from other championships, as Assen returns to the calendar for the first time since 2019. 

Redding changed the front of the bike and went out on mostly used tyres and out of sync, giving promise for his race weekend.

Former Moto3 champion Danny Kent was back at the sharp end for McAMS Yamaha, third quickest after the second session.

Tommy Bridewell was fourth and top Honda, with Leon Haslam fifth for Moto Rapido Ducati.

Christian Iddon had been at the wrong end of the top ten, but pushed hard with a bike lacking sensation and feeling for him, moving up to sixth for AJN Steelstock Kawasaki.

Charlie Nesbitt was also heading in the right direction, improving on his first run for seventh for MasterMac Honda, ahead of championship leader Kyle Ryde, who found the going tough, improving in time but in eighth for Nitrous Competitions Yamaha, his first time on a superbike around Assen.

Rory Skinner was ragged and often hanging off his Cheshire Mouldings Ducati, giving all he had to go straight to Q2, the first rider inside the top ten to improve with just ten minutes remaining, the Scottish rider initially jumped up to fifth on his way to ninth before it was all change at the top.

John McPhee was extremely consistent, spending much of the session with an identical lap time to the one he set in FP1, but was also adept at finding a tow, tucked in behind Bridewell for his best run at a track he has been a more recent visitor to in Supersport, to complete the top ten.

Max Cook was an early improver, but shuffled back to eleventh on the second Kawasaki, with a late effort from Glenn Irwin pulling him into the last of the top twelve Q2 places, again following several different riders to try and find an optimum line on his Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha.

Combined Direct Q2 Top Twelve

1:  Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) 1m 36.186s (FP2)
2:  Scott Redding (Hager PBM Ducati) 1m 1m 36.285s (FP2)
3:  Danny Kent (McAMS Yamaha) 1m 36.548s (FP2)
4:  Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) 1m 36.689s (FP2)
5:  Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati (Ducati) 1m 36.783s (FP2)
6:  Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) 1m 36.949s (FP2) 
7:   Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) 1m 36.993s (FP2)
8:   Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) 1m 36.996s (FP2)

9:  Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Ducati) 1m 37.041s (FP2)  
10:  John McPhee (MasterMac Honda) 1m 37.122s (FP2)
11: Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) 1m 37.124s (FP2)
12: Glenn Irwin (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) 1m 37.165s (FP2)

Official British Superbike Assen Records:

Lap record: Leon Haslam (Kawasaki, 2018) 1m 36.330s

Assen in 2019:

Round 10 (Showdown):

Qualifying: 1 Redding (2 Bridewell, 3 Stapleford)
Race 1: 1 Redding (2 Brookes, 3 O’Halloran)
Race 2: 1 Redding (2 Bridewell, 3 Jackson)

Josh Brookes was the rider just missing out for DAO Racing Honda in 13th, so will head to Q1, joined by Storm Stacey in 14th for the Bathams AJN team, the best BMW rider.

With most of the field not having raced Assen since their last visit, if at all, FP1 was a chance to get acclimatised to the track and up to speed.

Those with more recent experienced from other championships were able to get their eye in quickly, with the session lead by a late improving  Ray, taking over from Redding, who has a strong record at the track from the last visit where he took pole and both wins in a two race weekend, with Bridewell a close third.

Danny Kent used the session to allay any fitness fears, finishing fourth after his spill at Donington in the Foggy Esses left the former Moto3 rider with hand and wrist pain.

Early session leader Haslam was fifth, just ahead of championship leader Ryde.

Lee Jackson was back with DAO Honda, stating his return in 18th and improving to 15th in the second session and very close to an automatic Q2 place on his return, all the more impressive as the rider has had his racing caravan and riding equipment stolen ahead of the round.

It is the home round for TAG Honda’s Jaimie van Sikkelerus, who was 19th in both sessions on day one.

There is an extra rider from the Netherlands on the entry list with Wayne Tessels added with Druijff Racing Kawasaki, though there was only an out lap as bike issues plagued their first session. Back on track improvements were found in FP2, finishing the opening day 22nd.

A crash in FP2 left Jamie Davis 24th.

Andrew Irwin is absent at Honda Racing UK recovering from arm surgery following his crash in the Fogarty Esses at the last round, leaving Bridewell as the teams sole rider.