Rookie Max Hall starred on the opening official pre-season test day ahead of the 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, as the young Un-Limited Motorsport driver topped the timesheets at Croft.

Ash Sutton had already dipped under the existing qualifying lap record during the morning session before that time was completely obliterated amidst glorious warm afternoon conditions.

Hall's 1:20.532s lap time was more than half a second faster than the previous benchmark, as the lighter but equally powerful 2025 machines proved to be nimbler and faster than last season.

"We started off the morning really well and ended up with third," said the Cupra driver. "We changed a few things at lunchtime, the set-up was really good, so put some softs on and went for it. The pace was there so I'm really happy with that."

Some of the BTCC's more established stars tried to chase Hall down in the closing minutes as NAPA Racing UK's Dan Cammish and Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Jake Hill ended up only 0.029s and 0.039s behind respectively.

Team VERTU's Tom Ingram was next in the order ahead of last year's Jack Sears Trophy winner Mikey Doble in the Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall, whilst returning three-time champion Gordon Shedden ended up in the top six for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK.

Adam Morgan's re-acclimatisation to front-wheel drive machinery continues apace as the Team VERTU man hauled his Hyundai into seventh, ahead of the second Speedworks-run Toyota of Ronan Pearson.

Dan Rowbottom (NAPA Racing UK) and Árón Taylor-Smith (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK) rounded out the top ten.

The second day of testing continues tomorrow with glorious sunshine again expected in North Yorkshire and you can keep up with LIVE timing here.

Click here for the full classification from Day 1 of testing at Croft Circuit.