Hill launched his Laser Tools-liveried West Surrey Racing BMW 330e M Sport to the front of the pack from third on the grid while poleman Tom Ingram got swallowed up.
The diminutive Kentishman had established a comfortable advantage by the end of the opening lap, but found that hard work ruined by an arguably unnecessary safety car to retrieve a tyre stack that had been biffed into the track at the exit of the chicane by Andrew Watson, who had found himself with no room to manoeuvre other than into the corner-cutting deterrent.
