Mercedes machinery topped Free Practice 1 in the opening session of the British GT Championship weekend at Donington Park, with Mike Price and Callum Macleod's Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo lapping the Grand Prix circuit in 1m27.946s.

Things were tight at the top, with less than a second separating the top five in a session marked by changing conditions. Just over two tenths of a second separated the leaders from the chasing Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo of Morgan Tillbrook and Marcus Clutton. The partner Garage 59 McLaren of Shaun Balfe was just half a tenth further back in third, sharing the driving duties with Adam Smalley.

McLaren continued to show good pace, with the Optimum Motorsport pair of Mark Radcliffe and Tom Gamble finishing the session in fourth in their 720S, a further three tenths back. Current championship leaders Rob Collard and Ricky Collard ended the session in fifth in the leading Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Hurcacan GT3 Evo2 to round out the top-five.

The British GT runners will return to the circuit for another practice period at 12.20 prior to a sequence of four split Qualifying sessions.

British GT Championship, Donington Park, Free Practice 1

1. Price/Macleod, Greystone GT, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, 1m27.946s
2. Tillbrook/Clutton, Garage 59, McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, 1m28.150s, +0.204s
3. Balfe/Smalley, Garage 59, McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, 1m28.205s, +0.259s
4. Radcliffe/Gamble, Optimum Motorsport, McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, 1m28.582s, +0.636s
5. Collard/Collard, Barwell Motorsport, Lamborghini Huaracan GT3 Evo2, 1m28.693s, +0.747s
6. Cavers/Plato, Century Motorsport, BMW M4 GT3, 1m29.216S, +1.270S
7. Howard/Hawkins, Beechdean Motorsport LTD, Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, 1m29.511, +1.565s
8. Topham/Rowledge, Blackthorn, Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, 1m29.833, +1.887s
9. Smith/Plowman, Paddock Motorsport, McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, 1m30.229, +2.283s
10. Petrobelli/Adam, Blackthorn, Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, 1m31.745, +3.887s

Click here for the full results.