It was a tough first day of 125cc practice and qualifying for 16 year-old Bradley Smith. The Repsol Honda rider finally qualified 19th fastest and also crashed, without injury in the morning practice session at the slowest bend on the grand prix schedule, the uphill chicane.

"The morning did not go so bad until the crash but the afternoon was disappointing," explained the Oxfordshire rider. "I started on old tyres and only started to find the pace when I put on new tyres. I was fast through the first two sectors but slow on the third. We will make some changes to the bike and I will also look at the DVD to see if I'm doing something wrong."

Sixteen year-old Danny Webb qualified 28th riding the De Graaf Grand Prix Honda while in the 250cc afternoon qualifying session, Ulsterman Eugene Laverty and Yorkshireman Dan Linfoot were 23rd and 24th respectively with Like Lawrence in 26th place.