WEC | Le Mans BoP unveiled: how Ferrari stacks up in the Hypercar battle. FIA and ACO have released the Balance of Performance (BoP) for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The Balance of Performance, for some the strong point, for others a “necessary evil” of endurance racing, is once again the topic on every enthusiast’s lips. Recently, the WEC committee released the BoP on which teams will base their cars for the crown jewel of endurance racing: the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This article will analyze the parameters for the Hypercar vehicles.

Unlike the first WEC races, for Le Mans the lap times from the three previous race weekends are not used, but only the homologation data and simulations prepared by AVL.

The verdict from the balance: many similar cars, with two exceptions
The lightest will obviously be Aston Martin. The Valkyrie, debuting at the 24 Hours, will weigh 1030 kg dry. Then comes Cadillac at 1037 kg, while Alpine, BMW, and Peugeot will weigh 1039 kg. The 9X8 in particular loses 8 kg compared to last year but “gains” 9 compared to Spa. Then come Porsche, Ferrari, and Toyota, all three lighter than at the Ardennes race by 14/15 kg. They will weigh respectively 1041, 1042, and 1053 kg, with the Japanese being the heaviest by a large margin, a constant this season.

Power above and below 250 km/h: where the cars gain
Below 250 km/h, the most powerful cars with 520 kW will be Aston Martin and Toyota. These two will lose power above this speed threshold, with the British having 516 kW available against the Japanese’s 513 kW. At higher speeds, the Germans push harder, with BMW at 520 kW and Porsche at 518, against the 510 and 511 kW they can use below 250 km/h respectively.

Ferrari has grown since last edition, with the 499P releasing 515 kW, which will drop to “only” 500, the lowest in the category, with Peugeot also having reduced power below the threshold at 507 kW. Finally, Alpine, which wants to forget the double Mecachrome engine failure in 2024, will have 517 kW available below 250 km/h, which will become 508 once that speed is exceeded.

Energy per stint: who will play more with strategy
Strategy is key to winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ferrari fans know this well, still thanking Nicklas Nielsen for the excellent work done in the last hour of the previous edition. Once again, the Germans are smiling, with the M Hybrid having the largest “tank” at 919 MJ, against 917 for the 963.

The French are more limited: Peugeot once again has the lowest value at 889 MJ, and Alpine doesn’t do better with its 897 MJ. Ferrari will again have to manage its few 896 MJ. More comfortable are Toyota with 914 MJ, Aston Martin with 910 MJ, and Cadillac with 905 MJ. Below you can find the summary table.

Note on the BoP
In conclusion, it is worth remembering that in the WEC the Le Mans BoP will not decide the 24 Hours in advance. To win it, the skills of the drivers and their teams’ strategies will be fundamental. The green, or rather tricolor, flag is getting closer—Le Mans is lurking.