The World Endurance Championship runs a series of technical adjustments for the category known as Balance of Performance.
The regulations, simply known as BoP, aim to create a level playing field between each of the WEC’s competitors in the hypercar and LMGT3 classes.
At each event, BoP makes changes – mainly to the power and weight – to the different manufacturers’ designs based off the previous race. It is not intended to slow down the performance of the cars in front or to help a underperforming car at the back, but rather to maximise the potential of the differing concepts in the field.
At the previous race at the Six Hours of Sao Paulo in Brazil, Toyota’s No.7 car driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendan Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa dominated to win the race by over a minute. Following this victory, the Japanese manufacturer, and the rest of the grid have been hit with huge BoP adjustments.
Here are the biggest winners and losers of the latest BoP changes ahead of the Lone Star Le Mans in Austin.
The biggest winners of the Austin BoP regulations
Peugeot
Peugeot have endured a difficult season in the WEC thus far, as they sit sixth in the manufacturers’ championship with just 20 points.
The No. 93 driven by Mikkel Jensen, Nico Muller and Jean-Eric Vergne have scored all of Peugeot TotalEnergies’ points this season, while the second car (No. 94) has achieved a best finish of 11th at Le Mans.
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After their cars finished eighth and 16th respectively in Sao Paulo, the Peugeot 9X8’s will receive a staggering 14kg weight reduction.
The French manufacturer will lose 1kW in base power and a further 1.2% at over 155mph under the power gain rules, but the significant loss in weight will prove highly advantageous for the struggling French outfit.
BMW
Another winner of the BoP regulations in Austin is BMW, as the German manufacturer are one of two cars to have gained power under the latest changes.
It was a difficult weekend for BMW in Brazil as the No. 15 of Raffaele Marciello, Dries Vanthoor and Marco Wittmann finished ninth, while the No. 20 could only manage 14th in their third race in a row outside the points.
It may only be a 1kW power gain for their M Hybrid V8, but they will run 7kg lighter than in Interlagos, giving them a huge boost coming into the race around the twisty and speedy track in Austin.
Lamborghini
Italian giants Lamborghini are the other manufacturer to gain power in what is a much needed boost for the struggling team.
Running only one car this season with drivers Mirko Bortolotti, Daniil Kvyat and Edoardo Mortara – with Andrea Caldarelli replacing the latter at Spa – Lamborghini have amassed just 11 points, finishing down in 17th in Brazil.
Along with the same power boost as BMW with 1kW extra, the SCG3 will run 9kg lighter; a significant advantage for the team in what has been a torrid season thus far.
Ferrari
AF Corse’s Ferrari 499P have proven to be one of the best packages in the WEC so far this season.
The No. 50 car, driven by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen are sat second in the drivers’ championship after winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
However, Ferrari could only manage a highest of fifth at Interlagos courtesy of James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi in the No. 51.
After their disappointing weekend, the Italian giants have been given a 5kg reduction in weight, but have also lost 3kW in power.
With a top speed of 216mph and the Circuit of the Americas being a track with high-speed sections, the decrease in power may prove not as significant compared to the loss of weight in the machine.
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The biggest losers of the Austin BoP regulations
Toyota
It should not come as a surprise that the Japanese manufacturer have been hit the hardest for Austin after sheer dominance at Interlagos.
The GR010 Hybrid will run heavier and with less power at Lone Star Le Mans, with a huge 9kW power decrease and a 5kg weight increase.
While Toyota do interestingly have a 1.8% increase in power at over 155mph, the adjustments made to their cars will certainly hinder them in their battle with Porsche for top of the manufacturers’ championship.
Porsche
Toyota will be glad to know that their rivals have also been hit negatively by the BoP, with the German manufacturer running heavier and slower.
However, the 963’s – of which there are five in the field run by three different teams – have not as large of a change as the Toyotas. Porsche will run with 3kW less power and will be up 2kg.
While it will present an interesting matchup with their Japanese rivals, there is no denying that Porsche have certainly lost out with the BoP in Austin.