Salih Yoluc was looking for a way by Hiroshi Hamaguchi’s #55 McLaren at the start with Alexey Basov workinghard to fend off a charge from Johnny Mowlem.
Hamaguchi though was soon getting a little clear air in second and beginning to close on Egidio Perfetti’s Mentos Porsche.
Behind Yoluc fumbled and was passed by Basov for third. Soon after, Basov and Yoluc overtook the FFF Racing McLaren and catched up on the Porsche Mentos #88. Under pressure of Basov, Perfetti spun and lost 6 positions.
After this incident, Yoluc led ahead of Basov and Hamaguchi but a further battle, this time between a pair of Ferrari 458s with Adrien de Leener looking to get by Steve Hiesse in the #8 and #14 cars, that battle brought them onto terms with Hamaguchi and Mowlem, passing both before Mowlem got by the McLaren and pushed hard to get onto terms with the 458s.
Basov, closing in on Yoluc slid wide and half spun into T4 with 28 minutes gone, losing seven positions before it was safe to rejoin, Yoluc now 10 seconds to the good and Basov losing over 20 seconds.
Hamaguchi was next to stumble, another spinner, this time in T2, the McLaren man recovering quickly, losing just 4 seconds but falling back towards the recovering Perfetti.
With a quarter of the race elapsed it was Yoluc from Hiesse, de Leener and Mowlem, the three Ferraris now nose to tail in a battle for second, and gradually closing in on the Aston.
Egidio Perfetti’s pursuit of Hamagichi meanwhile was interrupted by Luigi Lucchini, the #7 Ferrari edging by the Porsche as Perfetti had another off-track moment, this time at T4. The Porsche man fought back, repassed the 458, but then lost out again, all of this bringing the SMP 488 back into play. Perfetti got by again with 78 minutes remaining and Basov found a way by, up to 7th as Lucchini fell right back, battle almost immediately joined for sixth with the #72 on the tail of #88.
de Leener by now had passed Hiesse leaving the red Ferrari to continue to fend off Mowlem as he edged away in pursuit of the leader.
72 minutes remaining and Basov was back with the Porsche, getting alongside into T1, the pair running side by side up to T4 where the Ferrari man finally managed to tough it out and take the place.
At about the same time Mowlem in the FF Corse Ferrari 488 had managed to grab third, now 8.7 seconds behind the leader but ahead de Leener was closing on the Aston quickly, 2.9 seconds back with 70 minutes remaining.
66 minutes remaining and de Leener was looking for a way by the Leader, and made it into T1 with Mowlem now closing fast too, just 5 seconds back.
65 minutes remaining and Yoluc dove for the pits immediately, Hamaguchi, Basov, Perfetti and Lucchini followed suit.
Mowlem pitted the #25 Ferrari from second on the hour mark but the McLaren was in trouble, a long stop for the #55.
58 minutes remaining and the fun for Adrian de Leener was over, he pitted the #14 from the lead to hand over to his, it should be mentioned, considerable less pacey father.
Steve Hiesse also pitted, the last man to do so, from second as behind Euan Hankey banged in the fastest lap of the race on his first flier, 1:40.810
The chasing SMP Ferrari and Mentos Porsche were soon by Pierre Marie de Leener for third and fourth with Ivor Dunbar proving a little more of a challenge but the pair were through into second and third, 35 seconds back from a charging Euan Hankey.
The McLaren had rejoined 4 laps down, apparently with Hamaguchi still aboard (correction, Adrian Quaife Hobbs climbed aboard but the car was seriously lacking pace) and was lucky not to be collected after a major moment for Francesco Castelacci ahead saw the #51 Ferrari 488 have a wild time in negotiating T6.
46 minutes remaining and the ‘Wet Race’ message flashed up, a huge black cloud beginning to deposit rain at a number of points on the track.
Further trouble for both the McLaren and the #51 Ferrari saw both on pit road again as the rain started to fall ever more heavily.
Bachler was getting the better run as the track got wetter, back onto the rear of the SMP Ferrari with 30 minutes remaining in a battle for second position, the fourth placed Cressoni in the #7 BMS Ferrari closing in too, 12 seconds back.
Hankey though was romping away in the lead, 50 seconds to the good.
behind the lead four both Mezard and Barreiros stopped for wets, the #71 man after a lurid spin, the pair retaining 5th and 6th after both Ivor Dunbar and Pierre Marie de Leener had also switched to treaded Michelins.
Under 20 minutes remaining and Hankey’s lead was getting rapidly towards a full minute.
Behind Shaitar was still fending off Bachler with Cressoni under 4 seconds back from the battling pair.
9 minutes left and Cressoni was looking for a way by the Porsche, Shaitar taking advantage and getting away a little.
Despite much (perfectly clean) battling the order stayed the same to the flag, TF Sport taking the race win, and the teams Championship, a prize of 100,000 Euros and, even more valuable a guaranteed entry in the LM GTE Am category for the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours.
Finishing second here and claiming the Drivers Championship is the #72 SMP Racing Ferrari 488 crew of Alexey Basov and Victor Shaitar.
