A very wet free practice saw all the sidecar teams with full wet tyres fitted.
For a lot of teams it is the first time at the 3.667 kilometre circuit, so the track conditions were not the best way to learn the circuit. Pekka Paivarinta and Adolf Hanni set the fastest time with their Team Suzuki Finland LCR Suzuki with a time of 1:51.268. Kurt Hock and Enrico Becker, Hock Racing LCR Suzuki were second, 2.503 sec down on Paivarinta and Hanni. With a time of 1:54.975 in third was Mike Roscher and Danny Kamerbeek, RCS-Kopack Racing LCR BMW.
It is the first time for Ben Bygrave and Calum Lawson competing at World Championship level but they slot into Fifth place with their Bygrave Racing LCR Suzuki, with a time of 1:58.052, behind Tim Reeves and Gregory Cluze, Tim Reeves Racing LCR Honda, who set a time of 1:55.022 in fourth.
All teams will be hoping the weather will be better for timed practice, there will be two timed sessions this afternoon.