WEC - BoP ballast revised upwards in the Hypercar class

With the WEC Prologue scheduled on the Losail International Circuit (Qatar) on February 24 and 25, there is not much time left for ACO/FIA to unveil the « new » Balance of Performance system for the coming season.

But today we already know that the maximum weight of ballast on board has been increased from 50 kg to 70 kg! This has been confirmed in a bulletin issued by the Endurance Committee, which stipulates that "Car must be able to accept a maximum of + 70 kg of BoP ballast (above the minimum car weight). Which is, as we all know : 1030 kg.

This value has been revised upwards by 20 kg since last year, when the GR010 Hybrid finished the season at 1080 kg. It would appear that the legislator would like to have more room for manoeuvre when finalising the values in his BoP tables, and this will involve an increase in the overall mass.

And unsurprisingly, it would appear that Japanese cars are once again the target of this extra weight. This would appear to be one of the ways in which the governing bodies are seeking to slow down the reigning champion somewhat and erect a BoP that they consider to be 'fairer'.

And what about the Ferrari 499P? Not very comfortable in twisty sections, it's its engine power that could potentially be revised downwards, as it builds up its advantage mainly in a straight line.

Another Committee decision has also been published. This clarifies the deployment of the ERS on LMH and stipulates that with the exception of the pit‐lane and after the chequered flag of the race the MGU‐K can only apply positive torque to the front wheels under conditions specified in the technical regulations.