Source: FIM.

As was perhaps expected the first sessions at Suzuka were dominated by the home teams, but the permanent squads also showed their pace with the best performance in this group coming from the Honda Endurance Racing Team that includes Julien Da Costa, Sébastien Gimbert and Freddy Foray.

FCC TSR Honda who were the winners at Suzuka in 2011 and 2012, recorded the best lap with a time of 2m08.215 just in front of the 2013 victors, the Honda mounted Musashi RT Harc-Pro Team who posted a time of 2m08.335.

Having featured in the Superpole Top 10 Trial in more recent years, the Monster Energy Yamaha YSP Team comprising of Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Broc Parkes and Josh Brookes took the third best time of the day at 2m09.306 in front of the Suzuki-powered Team Kagayama that features Yukio Kagayama, Noriyuki Haga and Dominique Aergerter with a 2m09.638.

The Honda Endurance Racing Team made a strong start at Suzuka. Da Costa, Gimbert and Foray delivered the fifth best performance of the day to head the list of permanent teams with a time of 2m09.695.

The riders of the English-based official Honda team had the luxury of topping a few of the more favoured teams such as Team Green the official Kawasaki entry and the Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance Team.

The other permanent teams are still playing catch up. Sitting inside the top 15 are the Yamaha France GMT 94 Michelin Team, who are just ahead of the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team.

SERT, the team who are current title-holders, are missing Vincent Philippe, who is still recovering from the broken arm he sustained at Bol d’Or. Damian Cudlin who joins Anthony Delhalle and Erwan Nigon replaces Philippe this weekend.

The Bolliger Team Switzerland (Kawasaki) and the Suzuki du R2CL team are currently in 24th and 29th places respectively and are in front of the Monster Energy Yamaha YART line up comprising Wayne Maxwell and Rick Olson alongside BSB star Tommy Bridewell.

Team Motors Events April Moto, winners of the 2013 FIM Endurance World Cup, who new to both the premier class and the Suzuka circuit have already acclimatised well and are just behind the Flembbo Leader Team. At the bottom of the table is the Motobox Kremer Team by Shell Advance who experienced mechanical problems and a fire.

Of the remaining Aussies, Josh Waters’ Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance team was seventh, Jamie Stauffer/Troy Herfoss’ Honda Dream RT Sakurai squad 16th, Josh Hook’s Honda Team Asia effort 17th, Gareth Jones’ R2CL Suzuki team 28th and Wayne Maxwell/Rick Olson’s Monster Energy YART 30th.

The next practice session is scheduled for Friday morning with qualifying scheduled later the same day from 1:50pm local time.