The BMW driver produced a 57.622s lap early o🍷n dur📖ing the 40-minute practice when running in tandem with his BMW team mate Colin Turkington.

With teams and drivers focussing on dialling in the optimum set-up, Hill's early ef🍸fort wasn't to be beaten with EXCELꩲR8 Hyundai's Pearson setting the next best effort in second.

Hill still carries a mathematical chance of cl𒈔aiming this season's BTCC drivers' title, but would need to overhaul a 62-poin💃t deficit to runaway leader Ash Sutton.

Power Maxed Racing duo Aron Taylor-Smith and Mikey Doble enjoyed a strong start to their Silverstone weekend after setting the third and fourth fastest times aboard their Vauxha🍌ll Astras.

Having completed the majority of his run🧔ning early in session, four-time champi𒊎on 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, 𒁏who was ninth quickest in FP1 behind Toyota's Ricky Collard and Team BMW's Ad🌱am Morgan in seventh and eighth.

Rory Butcher completed the top-𓂃ten practice or🀅der with the tenth fastest time.