Gene's joy at the front though was short lived when he was judged to have jumped the start, a drive-through penalty being his punishment, the Spaniard watching any hopes of a repeat win from last year disappear as he trundled down the pit lane and down to the back of the field.
Up into the lead, Farfus duly set about increasing the margin in his Alfa Romeo, but found himself facing a stern challenge from an unlikely source after Rangoni simply drove around Menu down the home straight for third, being promoted to second when Gene fell out of contention.
Far from being able to win back second from Rangoni, Menu was slipping further and further back, the Swiss driver looking like a sitting duck down the home straight on every revolution, being overtaken easily by both Tavano and team-mate Larini before turn one even approached on lap five.
Fifth became seventh in just two further laps when Muller and Peter Terting pulled off identical moves on the ailing Lacetti, Menu getting plenty of airtime as he quickly slipped into a fierce battle amongst several drivers disputing the crucial eighth place finishing position.
Seemingly stabilising himself having been dumped from third to seventh in little over four laps, Menu went on to embark on a tussle with Duncan Huisman in the leading works BMW, the duo swapping positions constantly on an increasingly crowded piece of tarmac.
Indeed, just behind, a significant fight just behind was brewing between Dirk Muller and a bevy of SEATs, Gabriele Tarquini, James Thompson, Yvan Muller, Rickard Rydell and Coronel swapping places feverishly with little evidence of team working together to fight off the single
BMW.
Somewhat inevitably, the dispute came to a dramatic head when Tom Coronel in the GR Asia Leon attempted to make a pass on Tarquini, who by this point was up into ninth place, instead clipping the rear of the Italian and sending him wide as they entered the finishing straight.
