Ferrari takes BoP hit for Spa WEC round
Its 499P Le Mans Hypercar has had 12kg added to its minimum weight and its maximum power reduced by 4kW (5bhp) for Saturday’s Spa 6 Hours, round three of the 2024 WEC.
The BoP adjustment follows Ferrari’s dominant performance on home ground last month at Imola, which failed to yield race victory after a double tactical error when it started raining with two of the six hours remaining.
A minimum weight of 1060kg has been set for the Ferrari and a maximum power output of 506kW (678bhp).
Ferrari’s adjustment compares with 4kg gains for the Toyota GR010 HYBRID and Peugeot 9X8 2024 LMHs and the Porsche 963 LMDh.
Toyota and Porsche have also lost 1kW in maximum power and Peugeot 2kW.
Every car in the Hypercar class will go to the grid heavier at Spa than in Imola with the exception of the Cadillac V-Series.R.
The American car remains at the lowest possible weight of 1030kg while losing 1kW in power.
#20 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Sheldon Van Der Linde, Robin Frijns, Rene Rast
#20 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Sheldon Van Der Linde, Robin Frijns, Rene Rast
Photo by: Paolo Belletti
BMW’s M Hybrid V8 and the Alpine A424 LMDhs have gained 3kg, the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 LMH Competizione 2kg and the Lamborghini SC63 1kg.
Power reductions of 1kW have been handed to BMW and Alpine, while the Lamborghini has lost 2kW.
Isotta’s LMH remains at the class maximum of 520kW (697bhp)
Publication of the BoP table on Tuesday by the FIA was not accompanied by any explanation from the rule makers, the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, as per usual.
The upward shift in weight and downward shift in power at least partially reflects the differing circuit characteristics of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps compared with Imola.
It is unclear if there has been no so-called platform adjustment – the balance between LMH and LMDh machinery — for Spa.
The new BoP methodology introduced includes the provision to make across-the-board adjustments when the gap between the fastest LMH and LMDh is above a certain percentage.
#38 Hertz Team JOTA Porsche 963 : Antonio Felix Da Costa, Will Stevens, Yifei Ye
#38 Hertz Team JOTA Porsche 963 : Antonio Felix Da Costa, Will Stevens, Yifei Ye
Photo by: HOCH ZWEI
A new BoP feature set for introduction this season, dubbed power gain and devised to more equally match the cars under acceleration and at maximum velocity, remains unused.
The BoP table for the LMGT3 category was also published on Tuesday.
Aston Martin’s Vantage GT3 has been hit with a 21kg weight increase, which followed a 12kg reduction for Imola, meaning the car will go to the grid 9kg heavier than at the Qatar season-opener when it finished second and third.
The Ford Mustang GT3 will run 11kg lighter at Spa than at Imola, though has been given a minor reduction in maximum power.
Practice for the Spa 6 Hours begins at 11:30 local time on Thursday.Read Also:
