Hill is Silverstone pace setter

Virgin Media Optoma Loans’ Tommy Hill topped the time sheets following the first practice session at Silverstone.

Hill was pole man at Thruxton and also set the pole time for last year’s WSB round at Silverstone. He recorded a time of 1:26.761 on a dry track at the Northamptonshire circuit just over a tenth of a second quicker than Airwaves Ductai’s Gregorio Lavilla.

Third quickest this morning (Friday) was Sobart Vent Axia rider Shakey Byrne, who managed 1:27.334.

Defending champion, Ryuichi Kiyonari was down in seventh with a quickest lap of 1:27.727.

The only faller of the session was Hawk Kawasaki’s Peter Hickman.

First practice results:

1. Tommy Hill GBR Yamaha 1:26.761
2. Gregorio Lavilla ESP Ducati 1:26.901
3. Shane Byrne GBR Honda 1:27.334
4. Tom Sykes GBR Honda 1: 27.335
5. Leon Camier GBR Honda 1:27.386
6. Leon Haslam GBR Ducati 1:27.648
7. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN Honda 1:27.727
8. Jonathan Rea GBR Honda 1:28.058
9. Karl Harris GBR Honda 1:28.174
10. Michael Rutter GBR Kawasaki 1:28.507
11. Chris Walker GBR Suzuki 1:28.739
12. Scott Smart GBR Kawasaki 1:28.827
13. James Haydon GBR Yamaha 1:29.336
14. Dean Thomas AUS Suzuki 1:29.452
15. Marty Nutt GBR Yamaha 1:29.790
16. Chris Martin GBR Honda 1:29.793
17. Ollie Bridewell GBR Suzuki 1:29.934
18. Cal Crutchlow GBR Suzuki 1:30.003
19. Tristan Palmer GBR Honda 1:30.303
20. Tommy Bridewell GBR Suzuki 1:30.442
21. Guy Martin GBR Honda 1:30.796
22. Aaron Zanotti GBR Yamaha 1:30.990
23. Steve Plater GBR Yamaha 1:31.303
24. Peter Hickman GBR Kawasaki 1:31.423
25. James Buckingham GBR Honda 1:32.309
26. Tom Tunstall GBR Honda 1:33.315
27. Neil Faulkner GBR Yamaha 1:33.999
28. Malcolm Ashley GBR Kawasaki 1:34.646
29. Paul Barron IRL Yamaha 1:34.671