Swan Yamaha’s Tommy Hill was fastest in this morning’s first MCE British Superbike session at Brands Hatch, bettering Shane Byrne’s fastest time of 1’26.798 by just 0.031 of a second as the chequered flag was brought out.

PBM Kawasaki’s Byrne was quickest for the majority of the session until Tyco Suzuki’s Alastair Seeley stole it away from him with less than ten minutes remaining.

Graeme Gowland, on the WFR Honda, then went quickest with a time of 1’26.856 with three minutes left but Byrne took first back with two minutes on the clock only to be beaten, as time ran out, by the reigning champion Hill, who jumped up from sixth place to be the fastest man.

Alex Lowes made sure there were two WFR Hondas in the top five getting the better of Josh Brookes by 0.076 of a second. Noriyuki Haga was pushed out of the top five to seventh ahead of Chris Walker and James Westmoreland.

Michael Laverty, second at one stage of the session, rounded out the top ten which was covered by just 0.686 of a second. Irishman Ian Lowry was eleventh ahead of Michael Rutter and Karl Harris on his return to British Superbikes.

Barry Burrell ended up fourteenth and Supersonic BMW’s Tommy Bridewell fifteenth, 1.022 seconds off of Hill’s fastest lap.

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