PWC Makes Sweeping Overnight BoP Changes to GTS Class

Photo: PWC

SRO Motorsports Group and WC Vision have made sweeping overnight Balance of Performance changes to the majority of the GTS field, with seven of the 11 cars receiving weight and/or ride-height changes ahead of today’s season-opening Sprint race.

Weight adjustments have been made to the Audi R8 LMS GT4 (-15 kg), BMW M4 GT4 (-25 kg), Mercedes-AMG GT4 (-15 kg), Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR (+10 kg), Maserati GT4 (-10 kg) and McLaren 570S GT4 (-10 kg).

Both the Mercedes and Maserati, meanwhile, have been given a -5 mm reduction in ride height, with the Porsche hit with a 5mm increase and the SIN R1 GT4 getting -2mm less ground clearance as well as a revised max throttle setting.

The changes were communicated to teams Friday evening following final practice, just one day after a series of initial adjustments were made prior prior to the start of on-track action.

“Both practices are complete, so we’re heading into qualifying with a weight we didn’t get to test,” said Flying Lizard Motorsports team manager Chris Barber.

Muehlner Motorsports team boss Bernhard Muehlner was outraged by the adjustments to the Porsche GT4 car, which set the pace on Friday in the hands of Gabriele Piana.

“We were told the Porsche, as the baseline car [for BoP] that it could not be adjusted,” Muehlner told Sportscar365.

“The other thing is that they balanced the car, not the driver. Look at where the other Cayman was. Balance of Performance is for the cars, not the drivers.”

It is not the first time PWC has made BoP changes during a race weekend, with last year’s GTS season-opener at St. Pete also having seen multiple revisions.

GTS qualifying is set for 9:40 a.m. ET, with Race 1 set for 5:05 p.m.

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