GruppeM Racing’s polesitter Maro Engel led away from pole chased by Maxi Goetz in the similar Mercedes AMG GT3 of Supercheap Auto Racing, Thomas Priening’s Manthey Porsche 911 GT3R, Luca Stolz in the SunEnergy1 Mercedes, Augusto Farfus in the WRT BMW M4.
This quintet separated themselves from the pack over the opening eight laps, so that after 25minutes, Liam Talbot’s MPC Audi R8 ran sixth but 20sec off the lead, pursued by Phil Ellis, standing in for the injured Lucas Auer in the Craft Bamboo Mercedes, and Dries Vanthoor’s WRT BMW. However, just before the half-hour mark, Vanthoor demoted Ellis to claim seventh, and just after 30mins, Vanthoor grabbed sixth from Talbot. Now he had to try to close the 20sec gap to fifth place.
