Augusto Farfus ensured the #31 BMW M4 led a Team WRT one-two finish in the LMGT3 class in a weather-affected FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Imola.
Maxime Martin was battling wheel-to-wheel with Farfus in the #46 BMW in the final hour, but a late race drive-through cost the second WRT car the win.
Still, a well-thought-out tyre gamble when the rain intervened during the second half of the race ensured Martin stayed well clear of Klaus Bachler in the early pacesetting Manthey #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R.
There was chaos from the start as Alex Malykhin led from LMGT3 pole in the #92 Porsche and contact further back between Sarah Bovy in the #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 and Yasser Shahin in the #91 Manthey Porsche.
Shahin was pitted into the barriers for his troubles but was able to recover back to the pits for repairs.
Shahin’s issues were compounded further when the stewards issued the #91 car a one-minute stop-and-go penalty.
The Iron Dames meanwhile contested with electronic issues thanks to the Lap One shunt and eventually retired during the second hour after several trips to the pits.
Meanwhile, Malykhin was enjoying a comfortable advantage out in front as Amhad Al Harthy in the #46 BMW, followed by Darren Leung in the #31 car had found themselves in second and third.
This trio remained in the fight for LMGT3 victory after the second hour had passed with Joel Strum in the #92 Porsche fending off a challenge from Francois Heriau, who had made his way into the win conversation behind the wheel of the #55 AF Corse Ferrari 296.
This left Valentino Rossi aboard the #46 BMW in third with Daniel Mancinelli in the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR contesting with Sean Gelael in the #31 car.
Entering hour three and a drive-through for Mancinelli for failing to respect full course yellow procedures dropped the #27 Aston out of contention for the win as Rossi sought to mount pressure on second-placed Heriau having found himself with a tyre advantage.
But as half-race distance closed in Rossi, now on a second stint on tyres which helped move him up into second over the #55 Ferrari found himself succumbing to pressure from Simon Mann in the AF Corse machine.
In his pursuit of Rossi Mann had flirted dangerously with track limits and eventually got handed a drive-through penalty for multiple breaches.
Strum all the while controlled proceedings out in front as hour four drew to a close with the #46 car in second with Martin now aboard and Farfus in third behind the wheel of the #31 car.
It looked like Manthey and Strum would enjoy a second successive FIA WEC victory, but then the rain intervened.
As the fourth hour came to an end under a Safety Car triggered by a combination of debris and wet weather chaos, the majority of the LMGT3 field gambled by staying out on slicks.
The TF Sport Corvettes weren’t enjoying the wet conditions however and both Rui Andrade in the #81 Z06 and Sebastien Baud in the #82 car elected to switch onto wet tyres.
Having led practically the entire race thus far, Manthey also made the gamble to put the #92 car on wet tyres and Strum conceded first place and driving duties for third and co-driver Bachler.
This meant the now-battling WRT cars were fighting for the lead and with just under 90 minutes of the race to go, Farfus made his move on Martin to take first place, aided by a slight off at Tamburello for the #46 car in the build-up to the passing manoeuvre.
Manthey’s gamble didn’t work and they saw no advantage in switching to wets, especially as the track started to dry and after a short stint on the underperforming rubber, Bachler pitted again to go back to slicks.
The fight for victory meanwhile was neutralised just as the #46 car was closing in on the lead in the final hour, but Martin was forced to serve a drive-through for not respecting a Virtual Safety Car. Still, thanks to the #92 car’s il-fated gamble, the #46 BMW was able to hold onto second place.
This set the stage for the #31 car to run unopposed in a short final splash and dash stint to take victory with Martin ensuring the #46 car and former MotoGP star Rossi got its first FIA WEC podium.
Behind third-placed Bachler was the #55 Ferrari of Alessio Rovera, Mann and Heriau in fourth, with Ian James, Mancinelli and Alex Riberas rounding out the top five in the #27 Aston Martin.
Joshua Caygill, Nicolas Pino and Marino Sato took sixth-place in the #95 McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo in what is a promising result for the United Autosports squad.
The TF Sport Corvettes finished in seventh and eighth, with the #81 car of Charlie Eastwood, Tom Van Rompuy and Andrade finishing ahead of the #82 machine piloted by Hiroshi Koizumi, Daniel Juncadella and Baud.
Ryan Hardwick, Zacharie Robichon and Benjamin Barker finished ninth in the #77 Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3, but there was no top-10 finish for the #88 sister car which was forced to retire after multiple damages.
Completing the LMGT3 top-10 was the #777 D’Station Racing Aston Martin of Clement Mateu, Erwan Bastard and Marco Sorensen.
