Ferrari Pushing to “Restore” Previous BoP for 8H Bahrain

Photo: Ferrari

Ferrari has called for the ACO to “restore” the previous Balance of Performance to the GTE-Pro class ahead of next weekend’s season-ending 8 Hours of Bahrain following a ‘disappointing’ run for the pair of AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evos in Saturday’s six-hour FIA World Endurance Championship race.

The Italian brand lost the lead of the GTE manufacturers’ championship while Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado’s advantage in the drivers’ world championship has been reduced to a single point following a commanding 1-2 finish for Porsche in the penultimate round of the season.

It came after the Ferraris in GTE-Pro and GTE-Am were handed with a 25-horsepower turbo boost reduction that was made outside of the automatic Balance of Performance process, utilizing the FIA and ACO’s so-called ‘black ball’ rule.

Ferrari’s Attivita Sportive director Antonello Coletta said in a statement that the manufacturer hopes the BoP previous to Saturday’s six-hour race will be “restored” for the season finale so they can fight on “equal terms” for the world championship titles.

“As mentioned on the eve of the race, the Balance of Performance proved to be particularly punitive to our cars, as confirmed by the race pace and the result of this six-hour event,” said Colletta.

“We regret not being able to defend the leadership acquired on previous occasions, the result of always beautiful and exciting races.

“We hope that the correct criteria for the BoP will be restored in the last race so that we can try to fight on equal terms for the world titles.”

Calado, who was outspoken on the changes prior to the start of on-track activity on Thursday, said they weren’t put in a position to fight for the championship in Saturday’s race.

“This decision can drastically change the standings, and it is a pity that a season’s worth of work by Ferrari, AF Corse, Alessandro and myself is in danger of being undone,” he said.

“Third place was the best we could aim for today, as I said before the race started.

“The Porsches could race without taking risks or exploiting their full potential.

“We hope that they will at least reinstate the Monza BoP, which produced an evenly contested race that was spectacular for the public, something that cannot be said of today’s race.”

The FIA and ACO have declined specific comment to the reason for the BoP change to the Ferrari, in what has only been the second adjustment made outside of the automatic system since its introduction during the 2018-19 ‘Super Season’.

“We were not put in a position to compete on equal terms with our opponents, and that is disappointing,” Pier Guidi added.

“In every race, we have always given our best, always exploiting our car’s potential, and I don’t think this should come back to haunt us. I don’t think it’s good for the sport.”

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