Based on the performance balance of the hypercar class, each LMDh prototype has a minimum weight of 7kg lighter for the Bahrain 8 Hours Endurance Race on November 4th.
Changes have been made to the so-called “Platform BoP”. This means the move is an attempt to create a level playing field between the two manufacturers operating LMDh machinery and the Le Mans hypercars of Toyota, Ferrari and Peugeot.
This explains why the weight savings are the same for both Porsche and Cadillac.
New BoP rules for 2023 allow for platform changes after the Monza and Fuji rounds in July and September, respectively.
This follows extensive revisions to all cars competing in Hypercars after the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
This was supposed to be the only manufacturer change of the season, but the WEC’s rule-makers, the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, opted to repeal the rules ahead of Le Mans without the consent of competitors.
Photo provided by: JEP/Motorsports Image
#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi, #38 Hearts Team JOTA Porsche 963: Antonio Felix da Costa, Will Stevens, Yifei Ye
After Toyota almost dominated the opening three races of the championship, it claimed these changes were necessary because the difference in performance between cars built to LMH regulations was “greater than originally expected”.
A new BoP for the remainder of the season was then announced for the 6 Hours of Monza, with different values for the last three races to reflect the characteristics of each circuit.
The minimum weight for a Porsche 963 in Bahrain was set at 1053kg, but has now been reduced to 1046kg.
At Monza and Fuji he raced with 1049kg and 1054kg respectively.
Cadillac’s V-series had a minimum weight of 1037kg in Bahrain, but this has now been reduced to 1030kg, the lowest weight in its class.
The minimum weights for American cars at Monza and Fuji were 1032kg and 1039kg.
Both Porsche and Cadillac will race in Bahrain with a 1 megajoule reduction in energy distribution per stint, reflecting the reduction in minimum weight.
Porsche’s maximum stint energy is currently 908MJ, while Cadillac’s is 894MJ.
The power output of both vehicles remains unchanged from the previous BoP published in July.
Free practice for the Bahrain 8 Hours Endurance Race will begin at 12:15pm local time on November 2nd.