Steve Laidlaw converts pole into race one win at Silverstone

Steve Laidlaw emerged on top of a cat and mouse battle with Callum Newsham to bag victory in the opening TCR UK Championship race of the weekend at Silverstone.

Laidlaw topped the times in a hard-fought qualifying session as he edged out Newsham for pole with a new lap record, with points leader Adam Shepherd slotting into third.

Shepherd however would line up at the back of the grid for the opening race having switched into a new Cupra Leon VZ for the weekend, which immediately meant he would be dropped down the order.

Steve Laidlaw nailed the start to lead the field into Copse for the first time ahead of Newsham, with Sam Laidlaw slotting into third and Luke Sargeant going wheel-to-wheel with Brad Hutchison – Hutchison getting ahead at Brooklands when slight contact forced Sargeant wide.

Shepherd meanwhile was on a charge and made up seventh spots on the opening lap alone to climb immediately into the top ten.

As Newsham put pressure on Laidlaw at the front, Shepherd overhauled Will Beech for sixth spot and quickly set about chasing down Sargeant for fifth.

The lead pair traded fastest laps – and new lap records – to break clear of Sam Laidlaw, with Hutchison heading a three-way battle for fourth that included Sargeant and Shepherd behind.

Shepherd finally managed to clear Sargeant at the end of the seventh lap to move into fifth as Newsham put ever increasing levels of pressure on Laidlaw for the lead – with the Hyundai clearly quicker through Brooklands and Luffield but the Cupra having the edge on the straights.

Newsham would struggle to draw alongside Laidlaw lap after lap, with the younger Laidlaw comfortable in third as he dropped Hutchison – who in turn gained some breathing space when an error from Shepherd dropped him back behind Sargeant.

Laidlaw was able to remain out front despite the best efforts of Newsham and the Cupra man held on to secure a first win of the campaign by two tenths of a second, with Laidlaw Jr following the pair home in third.

Hutchison took fourth from Sargeant and Shepherd, with Will Beech and Rod McGovern rounding out the top eight; the latter having switched into the ex-Carl Boardley Cupra on his return to the series.

Jeff Alden took Gen1 honours having comfortably seen off the challenge of lone rival Alex Jones.