WEC + GT World Challenge + IMSA + ELMS 2023

**458 Italia** · 12th June 2024, 15:05

Results after Le Mans FP1.

I didn't see much of the session, I only caught the last 20 minutes so won't start panicking yet, but I hope we climb up the timings!

**Aviamata** · 12th June 2024, 15:26

BOP striking us hard

**458 Italia** · 12th June 2024, 16:08

The Hypercar Balance of Performance for the 24 Hours of Le Mans has been released, confirming that the Power Gain system will be in use for the first time for the FIA World Endurance Championship centerpiece.

Tested by cars from multiple manufacturers in the Prologue test ahead of the season opener at Qatar in March, the system is designed to further equalize the field by changing a car’s maximum power above a certain speed threshold.

While the system was slated for introduction at the following round at Imola, the Power Gain, sometimes called ‘two-stage’ BoP, was not used for either race or the following round at Spa last month.

Toyota has voiced its support for the system on multiple occasions, with technical director David Floury stating that the marque was keen for it to be implemented in time for Le Mans despite not being trialled in a prior WEC race.

The relevant bulletin published by the FIA and ACO has confirmed that the system will debut at Le Mans, with the threshold set at 250 km/h (155.3 mph) instead of the 210 km/h (130.5 mph) that was listed on previous bulletins.

Seven of the nine Hypercars will have their power altered above the threshold, with four of those – namely the Alpine A424, BMW M Hybrid V8, Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 Competizione and Toyota GR010 Hybrid – getting power increases of 0.9 percent.

The other three cars, the Ferrari 499P (-1.7 percent), Lamborghini SC63 (-1.6 percent) and Peugeot 9X8 (-0.7 percent), have seen reductions, while the remaining two cars, the Cadillac V-Series.R and the Porsche 963, will not have their power modified.

However, Ferrari and Lamborghini have both had their base power increased compared to the previous WEC race at Spa, with the 499P up 2kW to 508kW, and the SC63 up by 5kW to 519kW, the highest figure in the field.

The Porsche has also been given an extra 4kW, putting it at 511kW.

Apart from the Peugeot, which sees no change to its power, the remaining five cars have all had minor power reductions, with Toyota and Cadillac both getting decreases of 7kW to 508kW and 509kW respectively.

Alpine has dropped by 6kW to 507kW, the Isotta Fraschini is down 5kW to 515kW and the BMW has dropped 2kW to 508kW.

As previously outlined by the organizing bodies, Le Mans will run to a standalone BoP compared to previous WEC races, although there are still significant changes in minimum weight compared to the previous race at Spa.

Peugeot has been given the biggest break with the 9X8 set to run at 1047 kg, 18 kg lighter than before.

It’s a change that follows criticism voiced by the French manufacturer about its revised challenger’s lack of performance since its introduction at Imola.

Also with double-digit weight breaks are the Ferrari, down 10 kg to 1043 kg, the Isotta Fraschini, down 12 kg to 1048 kg, and the Toyota GR010 Hybrid, which drops 11 kg to 1053 kg but is now the heaviest car in the class.

The only car to have lost weight from Spa is the Alpine, which drops 7 kg to 1038 kg.

Cadillac’s V.Series-R remains the lightest car in the class at 1036 kg despite an increase of 6 kg, while the Porsche (+5 kg/1042 kg), Lamborghini (+4 kg/1039 kg) and BMW (+1 kg/1039 kg) have all seen smaller increases.

All five cars that are returning to Le Mans are running at lower minimum weights compared to the same event last season, and with less base power.

and

Ferrari has gained 2kW in power, while the Toyota has lost 7kW.

But Ferrari is one of only three manufacturers to have lost power under the new “power gain” component of the BoP, which will finally be introduced for Le Mans on 15/16 June.

The new feature has been incorporated into the BoP so that the acceleration and straightline speeds of the cars competing in Hypercar can be more closely matched in an effort to further balance the playing field.

Ferrari’s LMH will be have to run maximum power reduced by 1.7% above 250km/h (155mph), equivalent to 8.6kW or 11bhp.

The other cars competing in Hypercar to lose power over 250km/h are the Lamborghini SC63 with a 1.6% reduction and the Peugeot with 0.7%.

All the other cars have a 0.9% power gain, with the exception of the Porsche 963 LMDh, which will run the same 511kW maximum power above and below 250km/h.

Racing with our hands tied behind our backs.

**458 Italia** · 12th June 2024, 18:01

Kobayashi bins it in qualifying and brings out the red flag

#50 and #51 both make it through to Hyperpole.

**458 Italia** · 12th June 2024, 22:09

FP2

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 16:42

FP3

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 17:51

Hyperpole starts shortly at the new time of 19:30 BST, 20:30 CET

Ferrari on boards:

Live Eurosport stream:

http://cdn.xsportbox.com/webplayer2....300&noplayer=0

https://cuervotv.me/sd0embed/F1

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 18:29

Delayed to 19:35 BST now.

Looking like spots of rain on the start/finish straight.

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 18:43

Brilliant first runs from both cars! COME ON BOYS!!!

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 18:48

Seb Bourdais is so quick in the Cadillac.

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 18:56

Antonio doing PB in the first sector.

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 18:57

1:19.097 in sector 2

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 18:57

NOOO red flag.

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 19:05

I don't think we'll have the life in the tyres left to go quicker now.

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 19:10

Antonio messed up his lap

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 19:13

Pier Guidi needs to find 0.5 seconds

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 19:14

Not happening.

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 19:16

Damn 4th and 5th.

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 19:18

We lose so much time in sector 3.

**458 Italia** · 13th June 2024, 21:32

Not much running in FP4 due to cars coming back from scrutineering late, good for the drivers to get some wet running though.

**458 Italia** · 14th June 2024, 01:14

Antonio Fuoco, 499P #50: “It was a very tough Hyperpole. We did our best as a team to exploit the potential of our 499Ps. It appears that some competitors are overall stronger than us, but we know that the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a long race where various factors will play a crucial role, including the experience we drivers and the entire team have gained over the past few months.”

Alessandro Pier Guidi, 499P #51: “We knew we might struggle in Hyperpole in terms of performance compared to some competitors. We weren’t very lucky with the red flag, which affected our tyre preparation as we tried to improve in the final phase. However, I think our goal was to qualify in the first two rows, to lower the risks at the start, and we achieved that. The race? I’m confident and believe we can perform well, particularly as we can draw on the experience gained in 2023. I believe we have what it takes to perform well in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti: “At the end of the Hyperpole, we find ourselves where we expected to be relative to the competition. It's important to note that a strong competitor like Toyota didn't take part in this session. Otherwise, I believe they would have been another challenger for the top positions. Our result isn't surprising, and we’re satisfied with our efforts. Now we look ahead to the race, which will be long and, as is traditional at Le Mans, full of challenges and variables to consider. The reliability of our 499Ps and teamwork will be two essential ingredients for doing well in the most eagerly awaited race of the year.”

Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of Endurance Race Cars: “We are very satisfied with the result achieved in Hyperpole. We knew we didn't have much chance to shoot for pole position, but we gave it our all and made very aggressive choices. Alessandro and Antonio (Pier Guidi and Fuoco, ed.) did an excellent job. It was a shame that the red flag affected the result, especially of the 499P number 50, whose strategy was more aggressive in terms of fuel on board: Antonio was preparing for the flying lap when the flag was displayed. Looking ahead to the race, we know it won't be easy, as the pace shown by some opponents is remarkable. So we'll have to do everything perfectly.”

**458 Italia** · 28th June 2024, 22:28

https://www.autosport.com/wec/news/f...s-block-anchor

Ferrari eyes joker upgrades to Le Mans-winning 499P
Ferrari has yet to use any of the five evo jokers permitted to make performance upgrades across the lifespan of an LMH or LMDh prototype

Ferrari is eyeing a performance upgrade of its Le Mans 24 Hours-winning 499P that could come on stream before the end of this year’s World Endurance Championship.

Ferdinando Cannizzo, technical director of Ferrari’s sportscar operations, stated before and after it retained its Le Mans crown last weekend that the Italian manufacturer is looking to exploit the evo joker rules that govern car development in the Hypercar class.

He explained that no timeline has been set for what remains an unspecified revision to the Ferrari Le Mans Hypercar and that it might come as late as the start of next season.

“We are thinking about introducing a joker this year or next year,” Cannizzo said between the Le Mans Test Day and the start of running during race week.

“We haven't made any decision yet, but we are further developing this joker because we've identified areas for improvement.”

After the race, Cannizzo conceded that Toyota, with which it battled for the victory last weekend, was the faster car in wet and mixed conditions but that the Ferrari “was more competitive in the dry”.

“We know the areas we would like to improve,” he said.

“We need to be much more competitive in all conditions — this race is a perfect lesson for us.”

Ferrari has so far yet to use one of the five evo jokers performance upgrades allowed to a manufacturer over the lifespan of a LMH or LMDh prototype.

It stated at the end of last year that it was evaluating introducing one for 2024, but confirmed ahead of the season-opener in Qatar in March that it had opted against bringing one on stream.

Cannizzo stated pre-Qatar that it was important that Ferrari first “exploit the potential of the base car”

“Before we apply for any jokers we want to understand the ultimate performance of our car,” he said.

A manufacturer must apply to the WEC rule makers, the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, to be able to take one of the evo jokers available to it.

The take-up of evo jokers is not in the public domain and is not shared by the FIA and the ACO with the manufacturers.

It is not known, for example, how many were used by Toyota for its revisions to the GR010 HYBRID LMH for the 2022 and ’23 seasons or by Peugeot for its reworking of the 9X8 LMH for ’23 and then this year.

I respect the first and third comments at the bottom of the article.

I agree with him on the transparency of BoP and the use of "tokens" too!

**458 Italia** · 12th July 2024, 08:23

Ferrari receives WEC engine power gain ahead of Interlagos
The Le Mans 24 Hours winners will have more engine power at its disposal for round five of the World Endurance Championship this weekend

Ferrari has been given back the engine power it lost ahead of its Le Mans 24 Hours victory for the Interlagos World Endurance Championship round this weekend.

The Italian manufacturer’s 499P was hit with a 1.7% reduction in maximum power above 250km/h (155mph) under the new power gain element of the Hypercar class Balance of Performance introduced for last month’s Le Mans WEC round.

In the BoP published for the Sao Paolo 6 Hours, the Ferrari Le Mans Hypercar has a positive figure of 1.8%.

Ferrari refrained from criticising the reduction it received under power gain at Le Mans, but technical director Ferdinando Cannizzo asked the media to “draw its own conclusions” on its effect after the first track action on the pre-event Test Day.

He pointed out that “on a track like Le Mans, we are above 250km/h [155mph] for 45% of the time” and that the power loss would affect the car's raceability.

The Ferrari picked up straight-line speed through race week, but the decision to trim out the 499P resulted in the Toyota GR010 HYBRID LMH being the faster car in wet and damp conditions.

Maximum power allowed from the 499P’s hybrid powertrain below the 250km/h threshold has been reduced for the Brazil WEC race, round five of the championship, from 508kW at Le Mans to 503kW (678 to 674bhp).

The minimum weight of the car has also been increased from the French enduro, from 1043 to 1060kg.

But both the engine power and the weight of Ferrari are largely in line with the figures from the Spa round of the WEC in May like much of the Hypercar field.

This is because Le Mans is considered to have a separate BoP by the WEC rule makers, the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, because of the unique characteristics of the 8.47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe.

Power is down from 506kW at Spa and weight up from 1053kg for the Ferrari in comparison to the Belgian race, which the marque looked on course to win before the race was controversially restarted after the scheduled finish time of the race following a red flag.

Only the Porsche 963, the Peugeot 9X8 2024 and the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 Competitizone LMH have had weight changes into double figures from Spa.

The Porsche LMDh is up 14kg and the Peugeot LMH is minus 14kg, while the Isotta has been given a 30kg weight break.

The Peugeot’s power is up 2kW from Spa and the Porsche’s by 5kW to 512kW, with no plus or minus power gain for either car.

Toyota’s GR010 will run 4kg lighter than at Spa, while power is down 9kW. But the car has been given a plus 2.8% adjustment under power gain.

The Alpine A424 LMDh, one of the fastest cars in the straight-line at Le Mans, had been given a minus 1.3% correction above 250km/h.

Up on power, but up on weight also...

**458 Italia** · 12th July 2024, 08:26

Ferrari reveals first updates to Le Mans-winning Hypercar for Interlagos WEC round
Ferrari's 499P Le Mans Hypercar will be equipped with its first-ever updates at the WEC's Brazil race

Ferrari has revealed its first performance updates for its 499P Le Mans Hypercar ahead of this weekend's Interlagos round of the World Endurance Championship.

The Scuderia has embarked on a redesign of the brake cooling ducts, aimed at improving cooling efficiency, and made some minor aerodynamic modifications as part of the first package of upgrades since the car made its debut last season.

Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of Endurance Race Cars, explains that Ferrari does not anticipate it will result in improved lap times for the 499P that won the Le Mans 24 Hours last month, but will allow for "greater versatility and easier adaptation of the car on circuits where braking performance is more demanding and decisive".

"Despite the car’s excellent performance in the 2023 season, we experienced limitations with brake cooling," he said.

"Therefore, we defined and developed a new cooling duct design in the wind tunnel and on the track to change the flow distribution and deliver greater efficiency.

"The modification impacted the balance of the 499P, which we restored to the desired value by adjusting other areas of the car.

"Specifically, we modified the underbody, adjusted the heights of some ‘gurney flaps’, and introduced a ‘flick’ under the front headlights.

"The upgrade has allowed us to maintain the 499P's position within the ‘performance window’ specified by the technical regulations."

Manufacturers are permitted to use five evo jokers over the lifespan of a LMH or LMDh prototype, and Cannizzo had remarked at Le Mans prior to the marque's second win at the WEC blue riband with the 449P that it had planned to introduce its first "this year or next year".

Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina's victory at Le Mans has lifted them to second in the Hypercar standings, nine points behind Penske Porsche Motorsport drivers Andre Lotterer, Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor in the 963 LMDh, while Ferrari is the same margin behind Porsche in the Hypercar manufacturers' classification.

James Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Antonio Giovinazzi are 51 points back from the PPM crew in sixth.

Ferrari has not tested at Interlagos prior to the track's first outing as part of the WEC calendar since 2014, but has regained the engine power it lost ahead of Le Mans with a 1.7% reduction in maximum power above 250km/h (155mph) in the Balance of Performance.

The 6 Hours of Sao Paulo meeting will begin with first practice at 10.45am local time on Friday.