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Rory Skinner heads home “with a smile” after third-best Donington BSB test time
Rory Skinner was third-fastest at the Donington BSB test aboard the Yamaha R1 – his fifth bike in as many seasons.
Rory Skinner failed to set a time in the final session of the opening day of the Donington Park BSB test, but finished the second day having topped the second session and with the third-best time overall.
Skinner was behind only his Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha teammate Danny Kent and AJN Steelstock Bimota’s Max Cook at the top of the times in what was his fourth day on the Yamaha R1 after two days of testing in Spain in March.
“I just got shown the combined times there, P3 overall, so pretty good,” Skinner told Crash.net after the final session at Donington on Saturday.
“I’m happy, I’m starting to learn the Yamaha now, starting to ride it more like a Yamaha, how it should be ridden. Can’t complain, it’s been good.”
For Skinner, the move to Yamaha in 2026 means a third different bike in three years of BSB, despite not moving teams in that time, but also a fifth different bike in the past five years having ridden the FS-3 Kawasaki in 2022 and the American Racing Kalex in Moto2 in 2023.
Skinner’s speed in setting competitive times on the Yamaha stands out as a quick adaptation, but he was keen to point out he also adapted quickly to the Ducati last year from the BMW he rode in 2024, just he didn’t immediately have the horsepower available to show it.
“The Ducati, I actually feel like I clicked with it pretty quickly,” he said.
“However we had so many electrical issues with it last year, I think I did these two tests with 160bhp.
“So, by the time we got to Oulton Park I ended up unlocking about another 80bhp and it all completely changed everything we’d worked on in testing.”
With Kent on the other side of the TAS Racing garage this year, Skinner has a teammate for the first time since he’s been with the team run by Philip Neill, something he thinks has helped him and the TAS team get up to speed with the R1 given Kent’s previous experience with the bike at Mar-Train in the past two seasons.
“Honestly, I’m quite happy, I’ve made some good progress with the Yamaha,” he said.
“It’s been a pretty smooth transition.
“Obviously, it helps having Danny [Kent] and Chris [Anderson, Kent’s crew chief] on the other side of the garage, they’ve got a lot of experience with the Yamaha.
“In general, I’m pretty happy, I can go home with a smile on my face and I’m looking forward to Oulton Park.”
Skinner added: “Me and Danny have had a pretty long relationship, to be honest, we’ve known each other for a long time.
“It’s good, teammates are never going to be your best friend but we’ve got a good relationship, we’ve got a good working relationship, and I think that’s the main thing – there’s not point making enemies in the garage when we’re all against each other on the track.
“At the minute it’s been good.”
Despite the positive start, Skinner is focused on continuing to learn the Yamaha at the next test at Oulton Park rather than making specific changes to the bike.
“I’m learning it [the Yamaha], my crew chief Stuart [Shenton] is learning it, the mechanics are learning it, so it’s just a case of us all working it together,” he explained.
“I’ll go home, I’ll sleep on it, I’ll probably think of a few things, give Stuart a text and we’ll figure it out.
“Considering it’s the first official test with it, I’ve only done two days on it before now, to go away P3, me and Danny the two top Yamahas, it’s good for TAS Racing.”
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Rory Skinner was third-fastest at the Donington BSB test aboard the Yamaha R1 – his fifth bike in as many seasons.
Rory Skinner failed to set a time in the final session of the opening day of the Donington Park BSB test, but finished the second day having topped the second session and with the third-best time overall.
Skinner was behind only his Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha teammate Danny Kent and AJN Steelstock Bimota’s Max Cook at the top of the times in what was his fourth day on the Yamaha R1 after two days of testing in Spain in March.
“I just got shown the combined times there, P3 overall, so pretty good,” Skinner told Crash.net after the final session at Donington on Saturday.
“I’m happy, I’m starting to learn the Yamaha now, starting to ride it more like a Yamaha, how it should be ridden. Can’t complain, it’s been good.”
For Skinner, the move to Yamaha in 2026 means a third different bike in three years of BSB, despite not moving teams in that time, but also a fifth different bike in the past five years having ridden the FS-3 Kawasaki in 2022 and the American Racing Kalex in Moto2 in 2023.
Skinner’s speed in setting competitive times on the Yamaha stands out as a quick adaptation, but he was keen to point out he also adapted quickly to the Ducati last year from the BMW he rode in 2024, just he didn’t immediately have the horsepower available to show it.
“The Ducati, I actually feel like I clicked with it pretty quickly,” he said.
“However we had so many electrical issues with it last year, I think I did these two tests with 160bhp.
“So, by the time we got to Oulton Park I ended up unlocking about another 80bhp and it all completely changed everything we’d worked on in testing.”
With Kent on the other side of the TAS Racing garage this year, Skinner has a teammate for the first time since he’s been with the team run by Philip Neill, something he thinks has helped him and the TAS team get up to speed with the R1 given Kent’s previous experience with the bike at Mar-Train in the past two seasons.
“Honestly, I’m quite happy, I’ve made some good progress with the Yamaha,” he said.
“It’s been a pretty smooth transition.
“Obviously, it helps having Danny [Kent] and Chris [Anderson, Kent’s crew chief] on the other side of the garage, they’ve got a lot of experience with the Yamaha.
“In general, I’m pretty happy, I can go home with a smile on my face and I’m looking forward to Oulton Park.”
Skinner added: “Me and Danny have had a pretty long relationship, to be honest, we’ve known each other for a long time.
“It’s good, teammates are never going to be your best friend but we’ve got a good relationship, we’ve got a good working relationship, and I think that’s the main thing – there’s not point making enemies in the garage when we’re all against each other on the track.
“At the minute it’s been good.”
Despite the positive start, Skinner is focused on continuing to learn the Yamaha at the next test at Oulton Park rather than making specific changes to the bike.
“I’m learning it [the Yamaha], my crew chief Stuart [Shenton] is learning it, the mechanics are learning it, so it’s just a case of us all working it together,” he explained.
“I’ll go home, I’ll sleep on it, I’ll probably think of a few things, give Stuart a text and we’ll figure it out.
“Considering it’s the first official test with it, I’ve only done two days on it before now, to go away P3, me and Danny the two top Yamahas, it’s good for TAS Racing.”
Rory Skinner failed to set a time in the final session of the opening day of the Donington Park BSB test, but finished the second day having topped the second session and with the third-best time overall.
Skinner was behind only his Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha teammate Danny Kent and AJN Steelstock Bimota’s Max Cook at the top of the times in what was his fourth day on the Yamaha R1 after two days of testing in Spain in March.
“I just got shown the combined times there, P3 overall, so pretty good,” Skinner told Crash.net after the final session at Donington on Saturday.
“I’m happy, I’m starting to learn the Yamaha now, starting to ride it more like a Yamaha, how it should be ridden. Can’t complain, it’s been good.”
For Skinner, the move to Yamaha in 2026 means a third different bike in three years of BSB, despite not moving teams in that time, but also a fifth different bike in the past five years having ridden the FS-3 Kawasaki in 2022 and the American Racing Kalex in Moto2 in 2023.
Skinner’s speed in setting competitive times on the Yamaha stands out as a quick adaptation, but he was keen to point out he also adapted quickly to the Ducati last year from the BMW he rode in 2024, just he didn’t immediately have the horsepower available to show it.
“The Ducati, I actually feel like I clicked with it pretty quickly,” he said.
“However we had so many electrical issues with it last year, I think I did these two tests with 160bhp.
“So, by the time we got to Oulton Park I ended up unlocking about another 80bhp and it all completely changed everything we’d worked on in testing.”
With Kent on the other side of the TAS Racing garage this year, Skinner has a teammate for the first time since he’s been with the team run by Philip Neill, something he thinks has helped him and the TAS team get up to speed with the R1 given Kent’s previous experience with the bike at Mar-Train in the past two seasons.
“Honestly, I’m quite happy, I’ve made some good progress with the Yamaha,” he said.
“It’s been a pretty smooth transition.
“Obviously, it helps having Danny [Kent] and Chris [Anderson, Kent’s crew chief] on the other side of the garage, they’ve got a lot of experience with the Yamaha.
“In general, I’m pretty happy, I can go home with a smile on my face and I’m looking forward to Oulton Park.”
Skinner added: “Me and Danny have had a pretty long relationship, to be honest, we’ve known each other for a long time.
“It’s good, teammates are never going to be your best friend but we’ve got a good relationship, we’ve got a good working relationship, and I think that’s the main thing – there’s not point making enemies in the garage when we’re all against each other on the track.
“At the minute it’s been good.”
Despite the positive start, Skinner is focused on continuing to learn the Yamaha at the next test at Oulton Park rather than making specific changes to the bike.
“I’m learning it [the Yamaha], my crew chief Stuart [Shenton] is learning it, the mechanics are learning it, so it’s just a case of us all working it together,” he explained.
“I’ll go home, I’ll sleep on it, I’ll probably think of a few things, give Stuart a text and we’ll figure it out.
“Considering it’s the first official test with it, I’ve only done two days on it before now, to go away P3, me and Danny the two top Yamahas, it’s good for TAS Racing.”
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