Former Moto3 rider Tom Booth-Amos started his competitive WorldSSP300 career in strong style by posting the fastest time of the opening day of the season with a 1’53.756 on his RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki.

He was also right in the mix in the earlier sessions, which were held in marginally cooler conditions at a hot Jerez.

“It was a bit better than this time last year, that is for sure,” he said. “A completely different life compared to what I have been used to in the past couple of years. It is a nice change to be honest and I am enjoying it so far.

It is a lot friendlier atmosphere where I am now – which is what I like when I am racing - friendly, not so serious – and obviously so far the results are showing that because I think today was petty good. I improved with the old tyre and my pace is good, so I am happy, I have been in Jerez may times with GPs, and this is the main testing circuit, so I have done a lot of laps round here! So far so good.”

Amos got the chance to test before the season started, but really to get used to the very different bike he rides now compared to a Moto3 machine. “I did not push so much in testing, as there was no reason. Obviously I learned the bike, which is obviously completely different to what I am used to. It took about two days to learn it. We are getting there now and every time I go out it is getting stronger and stronger.”

The difference between riding a roadbike designed to ride over potholes and rough road surfaces as well as around racetracks, and his previous prototype Moto3 machine, was profound.

“The first time I rode this was at Cadwell Park and I did two laps, and pulled into the pits and said there is something wrong with this. The chassis flexes so much, the tyres the movement, it is so different from Moto3, where everything is so stiff.

"The tyres, if you slide in Moto3, normally you highside. You don’t slide much. On these things you to round turn a corner, like turn 10 and 11, sideways. It is no problem. The chassis moves so much and that is the biggest difference.”

Tom said he was both surprised - and expecting - to be fast even on day one. “Yes and no,” he stated. “I knew I could do it because obviously I had some good results last year in GPs. I knew I was going to be there or there abouts, but not quite this strong so far. Or yet, as we have not done so much on the bike and we are running a base setting on it. We are only going to get stronger.”

He went on to take the championship lead on Sunday with a brace of podiums.