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

Arriving into the penultimate week♏end of the 2018 season, Oliphant s⛄its 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 early in the 40-minute praꦺctice, as the Volkswagen CC of Bushell slotteꦐd 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 thꦉe first time in my BTCC career is a brillian🐎t feeling," said Oliphant.

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

Looking for an upturn i🌃n fortunes, Rob Austin set the third fastest time aboard his Alfa Romeo Giulietta, little over 0.1s off Oliphant's time topping effor🌼t.

BMW Pirtek R🃏acing's Andrew Jordan was the leading RWD runner in fourth, just 0.002s slower Austin's Giulietta in third.

Jordan currently sits fourth in the drivers' standings, just ꧋eight-points shy of reigning champion Ashley Sutt♊on, who is third.

WIX Racing'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 c𒁃hampion Jason Plato begun his weekend in strong fashion as the fastest Subaru runner with the eighth fastest effort, while Josh Cook and Aiden Moffat completed the re🐻mainder of the top-ten in ninth and tenth.

Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram proved th𝓰e fastest of the leading championship contenders in 12th, while Ashley Su💖tton and Colin Turkington ended early running in 17th and 20th, respectively.

Team BMW's Turkington currently enjo☂ys a🍎 43-point lead over Ingram in second position.