That forced the 33-year-old to abort his flying lap, leaving Taylor-Smith in P16 for the first of three races over the weekend. The response, however, only served to underline the inherent performance in the new driver-car combination.

From the eighth row, Taylor-Smith immediately started to make progress through the field, including two positions on a hectic opening lap.

Amidst two safety car restarts, Aron continued to climb. He took the chequered flag an impressive tenth, among the highlights passes on four-time champion Colin Turkington and Rory Butcher, one of the pre-season favourites.

A repeat performance looked likely in race two, with Taylor-Smith gaining a spot on the first lap to run ninth. As rain began to fall, however, the slick tyres lost their performance, and those who had gambled on wets made their way to the front.

That left Taylor-Smith in P21 at the flag, and on the grid for the final race of the weekend. What followed was another statement drive, the Dublin-based racer storming through the pack in a typical, gusty touring car drive, to take a weekend-best result of ninth.

Despite a rollercoaster of a triple-header, Taylor-Smith leaves the opening event 14th overall, fourth in the Independents’ standings, and with CarStore Power Maxed Racing at the top of the Independent Teams Championship.

Brands Hatch’s 1.2-mile Indy circuit hosts the next three rounds on 6-7 May.