2011 Silverstone World Superbike FP1 Result: Hopkins Capitalizes On Wildcard To Lead First Session

John Hopkins has demonstrated his competitiveness by topping the timesheets in the first session of free practice for the World Superbike class at Silverstone. The Samsung Crescent rider has been given a wildcard for the British round of World Superbikes, and was fast throughout FP1. Hopkins is not the only surprise at the top of the timesheets, with Aprilia's Leon Camier taking the 2nd spot and BMW Italia's James Toseland - still recovering from major wrist surgery - taking 4th, with only Czech rider Jakub Smrz spoiling the British party in 3rd on the Effenbert Liberty Ducati.

Championship leader Carlos Checa was 5th fastest on the Althea Ducati, while the factory BMWs of Troy Corser and Leon Haslam got off to a strong start in 6th and 7th. Checa's championship challengers did not do so well, however: Yamaha's Marco Melandri was just 14th fastest, a second off Hopkins and two-thirds of a second behind Checa, while Aprilia's Max Biaggi was way down in 16th, nearly a second slower than Checa, and over a second behind his teammate Leon Camier.

Results: