Kyle Ryde picked up from where he left off on Saturday, topping the final British Superbike Championship (BSB) free practice session at Silverstone.

Leading the way around the short National configuration of the Northamptonshire circuit by almost half a second, the LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha rider dipped below the lap record set by former team-mate and reigning champion Bradley Ray twelve months ago.

With an air temperature of just 7.5 degrees for the twenty-minute session, Ryde was the first to top the timing with a lap of 54.525s and next time around, he’d reduced that to 54.155s, with Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW), Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing) and Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) in hot pursuit as the early leaderboard took shape.

Ryde quickly dropped into the 53s bracket with Andrew Irwin the next to follow him, the Honda Racing none the worse for his spill yesterday, but the red flag was out after six minutes when Luke went down at Maggotts.

After a ten-minute delay, the session resumed with the order reading Ryde, Andrew Irwin, Bridewell, Buchan, Nesbitt and Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) and the latter and Brookes were the early movers as they also lapped in the 53’s.

Ryde was the one making the biggest impression though and he consolidated his place at the top of the leaderboard with a lap of 53.051s, which was inside Ray’s lap record of 53.102s. He wasn’t done there either as he posted a 52.953s lap next time around.

That put him a commanding 0.741s clear of Brookes although Kennedy cut that gap to 0.697s as he slotted into second with Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha), Andrew Irwin and Bridewell completing the top six with five minutes to go.

Ryde continued to maintain his first position, but Glenn Irwin on the second Beer Monster Ducati leapt up to second with two minutes to go, reducing the gap to Ryde to 0.483s, and that was how it remained.

Further back, Brookes and Kennedy continued their good start to the season in third and fourth with Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) and Ryan Vickers on the second OMG machine showing good pace just behind. Danny Buchan (Synetiq BMW), Luke Mossey (Tactix by Lloyd & Jones BMW), Danny Kent (Lovell Kent Racing Honda) and Nesbitt rounded out the top ten.

FP2 pace setter Jason O'Halloran ended the morning session just outside the top ten in 11th

Qualifying is scheduled to get underway later today at 13:10.

2023 BSB Silverstone | Round 1 | FP3 Results