Toyota Handed Double BoP Hit for COTA

Toyota has been handed a double performance hit in the Balance of Performance for this weekend’s Lone Star Le Mans round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at the Circuit of The Americas.

The Japanese marque’s Toyota GR010 Hybrid has been hit with a weight increase and a reduction in base power for the sixth round of the season, which follows on from its dominant display in the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo last month.

It will now run at a minimum weight of 1065 kg – up five kilograms from Sao Paulo – and at a maximum power below 250 km/h (155.3 mph) of 497kW, a reduction of 9kW.

It makes the Toyota the heaviest car in the Hypercar field by a full 10 kg, with the next heaviest being the Ferrari 499P at 1055 kg, while it is also the least powerful below the so-called Power Gain threshold, 3kW down compared to the Italian marque.

The only saving grace for Toyota is that the GR010 has been given a Power Gain of 4.6 percent above the threshold, an increase of 1.8 percent compared to Sao Paulo.

Besides the Toyota, the only other car to have gained weight since the previous round is the Porsche 963, which has gone up by 2 kg to 1053 kg.

The Porsche has also been hit with a base power reduction of 3kW, in line with that given to Ferrari, although at 509kW it remains more powerful to the tune of 9kW.

The remaining six cars in Hypercar, including the Ferrari, have all been given weight reductions ranging from 2kg to 14kg.

Peugeot’s 9X8 has been given the biggest break of 14kg, dropping it to 1037kg – the same weight as the BMW M Hybrid V8 (-7 kg) and the Cadillac V-Series.R (-2 kg).

Lightest of all is the Lamborghini SC63, which has dropped to the minimum weight of 1030 kg following a reduction of 9 kg, the second largest after Peugeot.

Besides Cadillac, the smallest reduction went to the Alpine A424, which now tips the scales at 1041 kg.

The Lamborghini and BMW have both been given 1kW power increase below 250 km/h, while the Alpine, Cadillac and Peugeot have had 1kW decreases.

Isotta Fraschini’s Tipo 6 Competizione is no longer listed on the BoP bulletin for COTA following the marque’s decision to quit the WEC, which was announced last week.

Porsche Gets Major Weight Increase in LMGT3 BoP

In the BoP bulletin revealed for the LMGT3 class ahead of the Lone Star Le Mans, the Porsche 911 GT3 R appears to be the biggest loser with a 15 kg weight increase.

The Porsche, which has taken four of the five class wins so far this year, now weighs in at 1345 kg before success ballast is applied, while its power level below the Power Gain threshold of 200 km/h (124.3 mph) remains unaltered.

When success ballast is taken into account, the No. 92 Manthey PureRxcing Porsche will weigh in at 1375kg, while the sister No. 91 Manthey EMA car will run at 1370 kg.

Seven of the other eight cars in the class have been given weight reductions for COTA compared to Sao Paulo, with the BMW M4 GT3 and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R both dropping by 14 kg (to 1339 kg and 1344 kg respectively).

Meanwhile, the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 has been given a 13 kg break, although it remains heaviest in class at 1356 kg, a single kilogram heavier than the Lexus RC F GT3 that has not had its weight tweaked since Sao Paulo.

Lightest in class is now the Ford Mustang GT3 at 1334 kg, down by 6 kg.

The Lexus has had the largest power increase in the field, up by four percent, with the Corvette, Ferrari 296 GT3 and Ford Mustang LMGT3 all being given an extra percent.

The Aston Martin Vantage LMGT3 has lost one percent, as have the Lamborghini and the McLaren 720S GT3, with the BMW unchanged along with the Porsche.

There is also a change to the aero values of the Lexus, which now must run with a maximum rear wing angle of 10 degrees instead of 13 degrees as previously.