Ciceley Motorsport's Tom Oliphant has set the early pace at Silverstone after topping the opening British Touring Car Championship practi🐈ce ahead of Mike Bushell.

Arriving into the penultimate weekend of the 2018🔜 season, Oliphant sits 23rd in the drivers' standings but has emerged from FP1 quickest of all after setting a 58.474s lap around the National configuration of the Silverstone circuit.

Oliphant set his best lap ea🐬rly in the 40-minute practice, as the Volkswagen 🤪CC of Bushell slotted in behind the Mercedes with a 58.516s effort.

“I’m really pleased with that. It 🧔might only be free practice, but to top the timesheets for the first time in my BTCC career is a brilliant feeling," said Oliphant.

"It’s another new circuit for me in front-wheel drive machinery, but the Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes w♚as superb and I got into a good rhythm from the off. We’ve got a great base to build on for the weekend ahead.”

Looking for an upturn in fortunes, Rob Austin set the third fastest time aboard his Alfa Romeo Giu༒lietta, little over 0.1s off Oliphant's time topping effort.

BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan was t🙈he leading RWD runner in fou༺rth, just 0.002s slower Austin's Giulietta in third.

Jordan currently sits fourth in the drivers' standings, jus🔯t eight-points shy of reigning champion Ashley Sutton, 🎶who is third.

WIX Rac﷽ing's Brett Smith completed the top-five FP1 order ahead of his fellow Honda Civic Type-R runners, Jack Goff and Dan Cammish, who followed up in sixth and seventh.

Former two-time champion Jason Plato begun his weekend in strong fashion as the fastest ꦯSubaru runner with the eighth fastest effort, while Josh Cook and Aiden Moffat completed the re🥂mainder of the top-ten in ninth and tenth.

Spe🦄edworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram proved the fastest of the leading championship contenders in 12th, while Ashley𓆉 Sutton and Colin Turkington ended early running in 17th and 20th, respectively.

Team BMW's Turkington cu🅘rrentl✅y enjoys a 43-point lead over Ingram in second position.