Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Waters braved the wet conditions during the final MCE British Superbike free practice session at Thruxton and ended the morning heading the timesheets after a 1’20.484 rotation.

PR Racing’s Keith Farmer was the only other rider to lap inside the 1’20’s, and even though he did set the quickest time ten minutes towards the end, it was not enough and Waters pulled that extra five tenths out of the bag to top the sheets, for the first time this weekend.

At the very start of the session the rain began to fall heavily out on to the track – but that didn’t seem to worry the Buildbase BMW camp, as both rider’s Ryuichi Kiyonari and stand-in rider Lee Jackson were the first out of the garages, and were soon joined by RAF Reserves Honda’s Peter Hickman.

After 15 minutes of lappery nearly all of the riders made their way on to the Hampshire circuit. Soon after Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Dan Linfoot experienced a technical problem at Church even before he completed his first full lap.

With just under 30 minutes remaining to the session PR Racing’s Keith Farmer lapped a 1’22.00 to go to the top of the sheets, but fresh from his Suzuka podium, Waters lapped a 1’21.697 to go fastest, with Milwaukee Yamaha's Josh Brookes in tow.

But Farmer was not going to let the Australians take all the credit, and fought back to regain top spot after a 1’20.903 rotation, on the 20 minute mark. But Waters was hot on his tail and found an extra five tenths to go even quicker than the Northern Irelander.

The session was red flagged with one minute remaining, as the heavens opened and the riders retracted to the pits. In the end it was Brookes who rounded up the top three, after a 1’21.020, followed by Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne and Kiyonari.

Further down the field Hickman, Millsport Ducati’s Jakub Smrz and Jackson, who is acting as a replacement rider for the crocked James Westmoreland rounded up the top ten.