Final Hour

Overall leader Boullion makes his final stop with 47 minutes of the race remaining; it now being certain that the race will run to six hours rather than 1000km (215 laps). It is completed calmly and without incident and the Frenchman's lead is intact when he resumes.

Moments later, Miguel Ramos gets things wrong at Turn 4 and is left facing the wrong way and struggling to restart. Stephane Ortelli suddenly sense a podium finish and puts his foot down. 

Ramos finally finds a gear and swings the car to the other side of the track, where he promptly stops again. Ortelli furiously flashes his lights at the WR Salini of Phillippe Salini, who proves reluctant to let him past. Moments later, the SC board is shown.

The leader is picked up staright away. The fight for the lead of P1, P2 and GT2 will all potentially close right up.

Danny Watts is in the wrong part of the queue however, and despite setting his fastest lap of the race shortly before is just ahead of the Signature Oreca and thus a lap behind.

But just as Olivier Pla looks like catching the Racing Box Coupe, he heads for the pits and then has difficulty leaving the pits, losing him valuable time. 

The race goes green again with 34 minutes remaining, and with the gap from Tinseau to Mucke being 4.156s. Alas for JMW in GT2, the safety car has worked in Felbermayr's favour and split the cars by a lap rather than closing them up. Pla is also over a minute off the class lead.

Mucke is closing, but still has the Strakka Ginetta-Zytek between him and his target - 2.176s at the end of lap 191, 1.422 by 192.

It's going to be close, in more ways than one. Boullion doesn't have to stop, but it's marginal for Mucke.

Lap 194 - Mucke boxes the Pesca in behind two GT2s and is through into the lead. 25 minutes remain.

Tinseau looks like he is in fuel-saving mode, while Mucke looks to be giving himself the space needed for a splash 'n dash. The Aston's lead at the end of lap 196 is already 4.632s.

Elsewhere, Antonio Garcia is challenging Anthony beltoise for fourth in GT2. The Hankook Ferrari looks like claiming a podium on its debut. 

The 009 Aston's demise incidentally was caused by the gearbox jamming in first and then neutral. Whether this happened before or after the spin is unknown.

The #13 Speedy Lola isn't a retirement after all - Marcel Fassler getting back into the car after the team managed to effect a repair on a faulty water pump.

Into the final quarter hour, and Mucke's lead is now 7.424s.

The two OAK Racing Pescarolo Mazdas are not just touring round for a photo finish - Karim Ajlani having just taken fifth in class from Jacques Nicolet.

The Bruichladdich Bruneau looks like finishing fourth after a fine run.

Five minutes to go and a maximum of four more laps - can the Aston make it on fuel? His lead is 12.424; not enough for even the quickest splash and dash.

JMW pits for a splash of fuel, with its second place in no danger from the #89 car. Rob Bell; "They've got us on ultimate pace and across the whole fuel load - at least now we know how they felt all last year!"

Final lap - and no stop for Mucke.

This will be the first overall international prototype sportscar victory for Aston Martin for 50 years we reckon.

Aston Martin Racing wins! The margin 14.884 seconds at the flag.

In LMP2, Lola takes another win, as Racing Box #30 crosses the line on its debut. Lola's first class win since Spa in 2007, and Judd's first since Horag Racing took the laurels at Monza in 2007.  Judd also take 2nd 3rd and 4th overall with their V10s (3rd for the AIM version), racring Box take a double podium, First and Third.

Well done to IPB Spartak Racing on its debut win, the first for a Lamborghini in LMS; and also to Felbermayr Proton for Porsche's first GT2 win since Interlagos in 2007.

Despite being so narrowly beaten, Pescarolo Sport will take some satisfaction from such a strong performance from its new car and Oreca too will be delighted with a podium finish for debutant Bruno Senna and their interim spec car.  

Stefan Mucke is greeted as soon as he gets out of the car by something every professional likes to see - A large Czech - sadly for Stefan in this case it was Antonin Charouz.

And from a correspondent that shall remain nameless - "Born in Huntingdon, Raised in Banbury - What a ducking beauty"

First overall win for Lola in Europe since Nurburgring SRWC in 1999.