Tordoff breaks BTCC Brands Hatch lap record in first session of 2019

The test moved to the Kent venue for 2019, previously having been held at Donington Park.

AmD Tuning driver Tordoff - who switches from a Motorbase Ford Focus for 2019 - was the only person to dip below the 48-second barrier, ending the day with a 47.927s.

That meant he beat Tom Ingram's lap record for the configuration, a 47.990s set during qualifying for the 2016 season-opener.

Tordoff also completed the most laps out of the field, with his morning and afternoon running in the FK2-generation Honda Civic Type R totalling 170 laps.

Tordoff told Autosport: "During the day, we did a simulated race weekend - free practice and qualifying this morning and ran through three race programmes this afternoon.

"We changed the set-up a little bit but the great thing about this car is it's almost perfect straight out the truck.

"It's the best touring car I've ever driven."

His former Motorbase team-mate Tom Chilton was 0.110s shy in second place with a 48.037s in the Ford Focus RS and Dan Cammish third for Team Dynamics.

Cammish managed a 48.053s in the newer generation FK8 Civic Type R, while team-mate Matt Neal did not complete any running in the afternoon.

Having set the sixth fastest time in the morning, a sponsor commitment meant he had to travel to Leeds. By the end of the day, Neal had dropped to ninth in the combined times.

Andrew Jordan beat WSR team-mates Tom Oliphant and Colin Turkington to finish fourth in the brand new BMW 330i M Sport and as the fastest rear-wheel-drive car.

Jordan - the 2013 BTCC champion - set a 48.063s lap, which was 0.14s faster than Turkington in seventh and 0.25s ahead of Oliphant in 12th.

Behind Jordan was Tordoff's team-mate Rory Butcher and reigning independents' champion Ingram in the new Toyota GB-backed Corolla.

Although there were no red flags throughout the day, the Speedworks driver did have to sit out the final hour having ran wide at Paddock Hill Bend and losing a sill.

Team BMR stablemates Ashley Sutton and Senna Proctor could only manage 19th and 20th in their Subaru Levorg GTs, with the build on 2017 champion Sutton's car only having been completed the night before.

Two-time series champion Jason Plato's return to Vauxhall, with which he won his 2001 crown, earned him 21th place in the Astra.

Former Formula 1 driver and Le Mans winner Mark Blundell ended the day in 24rd in his Trade Price Cars Racing Audi S3, 0.6s off his team-mate Jake Hill.