Golz: Porsche Hoping for Rethink in New Car BoP Process

Photo: Porsche

Porsche is hoping for a rethink in IMSA’s new car Balance of Performance protocol for GTD Pro and GTD class machinery, with its GT3 project manager Sebastian Golz suggesting the process could be ‘sped up’ in the future.

The German manufacturer’s Type-992 Porsche 911 GT3 R, along with the new Ferrari 296 GT3 and updated Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, all debuted in January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona with apparent pace deficits, which had raised questions over the process.

Per IMSA, new car models and Evos are classified as “probational” for BoP consideration, with cars retaining that status for the first season and issued a “baseline” BoP.

While the IMSA technical committee may make BoP changes outside of the rolling average process, Golz, and other manufacturer representatives have indicated its approach is too conservative and handicaps the customers that have invested in new GT3 machinery.

It has led to several customers, including Ryan Hardwick, to scale back their GTD class commitments.

“It takes time,” Golz told Sportscar365 during last weekend’s Kyalami 9 Hour. “IMSA is quite sensitive of BoP for new cars. It was really conservative [at Daytona] that was too far away for everybody.

“We expect for Sebring the right step. Testing will show us and then we’ll see after the data analysis, which takes time. It’s normal.”

Golz pointed out the struggles Chevrolet had with its Corvette C8.R GTD in 2022, which along with the BMW M4 GT3, were classified as new models and were subjected to the same procedure throughout the season.

IMSA has typically made incremental adjustments due to the lack of available data on the new machinery.

All seven Porsches, including the factory-supported Pfaff Motorsports entry in GTD Pro, struggled for pace at Daytona, which Golz said was difficult for its contingent of privateer teams.

“This is the major problem,” he said. “It’s a big investment for the customers so the question will be, ‘How can we speed this [process] up for the future?’

“If you enter a new car, it normally means — we have looked from the manufacturer’s side — you need to just run one car before a couple of times, they know what the car is able to do and then you have the right BoP setting directly for the first race for the customers.

“Maybe there’s something we need to discuss for the future.

“It is a key point. If you have a team which makes its business case and invests a lot of money, they have sponsorships and sponsors are looking at the first race and are going, ‘What is going on?’

“We need to be better for the future.”

When asked if he feels confident in IMSA’s BoP process, Golz said: “They have been doing motorsport for years. I think they recognize the situation from the customers’ side especially and I think they will adapt. We need to find a way.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John