Team Halfords drivers Matt Neal and Dan Eaves set the early pace at a cold Donington Park. Neal was quickest in the morning’s first session with a time of 1.12.852, just 0.052secs ahead of teammate Eaves. Both Integra drivers completed more timed laps than any other driver. Rob Collard was third in the West Surrey Racing MG ZS, ahead of Gavin Smith in the first of the Astra Sport Hatch models.

Jason Plato was fifth fastest, ahead of Colin Turkington, James Pickford and Yvan Muller. The Frenchman only completed 9 laps, spending the second half of the session confined to the pits with an exhaust problem.

A single Lexus is present at Donington Park this weekend, and the car hit the track for the first time towards the end of this morning’s first session. However, Richard Williams free-wheeled into the pits at the end of his first lap, the engine having cut out. The team, including driver of the second car Ian Curley, worked frantically to get the car back out, which they managed for another single lap just before the end of the session.

Luke Hines, James Kaye and Mark Proctor complete the 12-car line-up for the first session of the season. Proctor was more successful than on the media day here at Donington Park, completing 19 laps and setting a time of 1:16.975 in his first BTCC session.