The BMW driver produced a 57.622s lap early on during the 40-minute practice when running in tandemℱ with his BMW team mate Colin Turkington.

With teams and drivers focussing on dialling in the optimum set-up, Hill's early effort wasn't to be beaten with EXCELR8 Hyundai's Pearson setting the nex🎀t best effort in second.

Hill still carries a mathematical chance of claiming this season's BTCC drivers' title, but would need to overhaul a 62-point deficit 🌠to runaway leader Ash Sutton.

Power Maxed Racing d😼uo Aron Taylor-Smith and Mikey Doble enjoyed a strong start to their Silverstone weekend after setting the third and foꦺurth fastest times aboard their Vauxhall Astras.

Having completed the majorit💙y🌳 of his running early in session, four-time champion Turkington completed the top-five FP1 order in fifth position, ahead of Sutton's NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus in sixth.

Three-time champion Sutton carries a substantial 42-point championship lead ahead of reigning champion Tom Ingram, who was n🎃inth quickeꦡst in FP1 behind Toyota's Ricky Collard and Team BMW's Adam Morgan in seventh and eighth.

Rory Butcher completed the top-ten practice order with the tenth🙈 fastest time.