The Latest Breaking News from Bristol Street Motors

A significant increase in ambient and track temperatures plus changes in wind direction played havoc with the teams’ calculations and Ingram, in his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N Fastback, mastered the curveballs the best.

The diminutive Kentishman was quick out of the blocks in the early-morning FP1 session to whisk his West Surrey Racing-run Laser Tools BMW 330e M Sport around the Hampshire speedbowl with a lap that for a long time stood half a second clear of the opposition.

Dubliner Taylor-Smith stamped in a late effort in the cooler conditions of the first session to top the times at the wheel of his Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra on a 47.905s.

Ingram used his one available lap of hybrid to slice his way down the inside of long-time leader Hill at Redgate on the 14th lap of 18, and the Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N was able to establish a small gap over the pair behind it, with Sutton’s NAPA-liveried Alliance Racing…

After a two-hour delay due to the persistent heavy rain, the unfortunate crowd was treated to 14 laps under the safety car after the fast-starting Sam Osborne crashed heavily at the top of the Craner Curves on the opening lap when he was tapped by the Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall…

The admission comes at the start of what looks set to be a hectic BTCC silly season, albeit with the team’s reigning champion Tom Ingram hinting that he will stay with the Sussex squad into 2024.

Turkington’s West Surrey Racing team-mate Jake Hill charged his BMW 330e M Sport from the back of the grid to eighth, but has now fallen out of championship contention.

The three-time champion worked his Motorbase Performance Ford Focus ST around the Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N of reigning title holder Tom Ingram on the second lap, and disappeared into the distance.

But this time Sutton had to fend off a stern challenge from reigning champion Tom Ingram, who ran him extremely close but could not prevent the Motorbase Performance Ford Focus ST squad from extending its 2023 pole wipeout to eight from eight.