2016 24 Hours of Le Mans: Ford and Ferrari Speed Nerfed in Post Qualifying 'BoP' Change

[Jack Hunsley]

After thoroughly dominating yesterdays' GTE Pro qualifying, both Ford and Ferrari have been hit with an unprecedented post qualifying balance of performance changes, ahead of Saturday's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

With both teams capable of running multiple seconds faster than any of the other GTE Pro outfits, several names within the sport began to make claims that AF Corse and both the UK and USA Ford Chip Ganassi outfits had deliberately limited their own potential across the season so far, as to gain an advantage in terms of weight and engine power for Le Mans.

Race organizers announced yesterday that in-race penalties for any teams suspected of attempting to gain a 'BoP' advantage were being considered, however it seems they have instead opted to address the issue prior to the race start.

Both Ferrari and Ford will race with additional weight and a reduction of power on Saturday with Ferrari being given 15kg and Ford 10kg, alongside additional reductions in turbo pressure.

Likewise both Aston Martin and Corvette have been granted a 0.2mm larger air restrictor, bringing them closer to the specifications they ran during the Le Mans test weekend. The Porsche 911 RSR remains unaffected by either change.

With 11 of the 14 GTE Pro cars affected by the changes, drivers will only have the 45 minute warm up session prior to the race start to get to grips with the changes to the car's handling.

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[fortyfivekev]

Left it a bit late but probably fair and goes some way to countering the stories that the ACO wouldn't mind if Ford got a 50th anniversary win.

 

[the_sigman]

BoP sucks. In any series.

 

[Nick Gregory]

BoP sucks. In any series.

One team, or one car, or one manufacturer being way too dominant is bad for competition.

 

[Nox]

It's been clear the Fords have been sandbagging all season, I am not surprised at the BoP changes at all and despite being the unpopular opinion, I am happy about it.

 

[Seria17hri11er]

One team, or one car, or one manufacturer being way too dominant is bad for competition.

And makes for boring racing!

 

[pafe]

Good move. They took weight off the Fords after the testdays and checking the times Ford ran before Qualifying it seems they tried to play the dirty game

 

[4 8 15 16 23 42 108]

Wow. 10 and 15 kilos up. That's massive, given they were just a few SECONDS faster than anyone else. Wow. Just wow.

Whom did Porsche piss off that this year they are so over-unfairly balanced on and on and on?

 

[Frederic Schornstein]

Wow. 10 and 15 kilos up. That's massive, given they were just a few SECONDS faster than anyone else. Wow. Just wow.

Whom did Porsche piss off that this year they are so over-unfairly balanced on and on and on?

I guess the major thing will be the turbo boost reduction. I am probably not up to date with all infos, but wasn't there in the past an independent BoP test by the ASO and/or FIA to do the initial BoP. Ferrari and Ford played it pretty bad sandbagging like crazy and then going 3 seconds faster than the best GTE car (Porsche). This is just plain dirty. They definetely do something about it in the future e.g. imposing a penalty on such things or forcing the teams to provide proof that they are using the car to it's best ability.

 

[the_sigman]

One team, or one car, or one manufacturer being way too dominant is bad for competition.

It is bad. Not doubt. Look at WTCC. Citroen got the weight penalty for doing the best job against the other teams, they struggled in Moscow and at Vila Real they will be dominant again because Lada and Honda are taking the weight. Same with BMW last year in Zandvoort filling the first 7-8 places.

Absolutely ridiculous. Getting penalised because you are the best. And not only that, it backfires to the weaker ones worse than it should.

 

[Rodent]

Wait, the Ferrari gets 5 kg more ballast despite being slower then the Ford? Bad day for the prancing ponies.

 

[Grand Tourist]

I guess the major thing will be the turbo boost reduction. I am probably not up to date with all infos, but wasn't there in the past an independent BoP test by the ASO and/or FIA to do the initial BoP. Ferrari and Ford played it pretty bad sandbagging like crazy and then going 3 seconds faster than the best GTE car (Porsche). This is just plain dirty. They definetely do something about it in the future e.g. imposing a penalty on such things or forcing the teams to provide proof that they are using the car to it's best ability.

Well, then let's hand those cars over to our team racing driver....some say he's lactose intolerant and doesn't like salty popcorn...he's called the Stig!!

 

[Grand Tourist]

I am actually against bop. It sufficates the innovative and better performing team and barely helps the weaker teams, resulting in what seems an equal field, but in truth we see a lot of cars not using their full potential.and a grid drawn downwards by the weaker performing or underdogs.
In stead, create that extra GT niche, similar to LMP1 where innovation and yes, money by manufacturors are the base of ultra performing vehicles. It could all be so easily solved....
LMP Ultra - manufacturor only - top speed restrictor - minimum weight
LMP1 - privateer vs manufacturor - budget investment restrictions to ensure competition
LMP2 - same as LMP1
GT Ultra or GT Prototype - same as LMP Ultra - no homologation rules
GT Pro - same as LMP1 - homologation rules applied
GT E - privateer only - homologation rules applied - same budget restrictions

There is no bop in this, unless the basic restrictions like in any motorsport division. Lots of room for innovative and creative designs, technical or aerodynamic or whatever,....
Of course, safety devices have to be there for every divison as we currently know them. But if too many rules are being applied, it will all end up like F1 today.

I have it like this in my head, bur who am I?

 

[Mathias Nielsen]

Wait, the Ferrari gets 5 kg more ballast despite being slower then the Ford? Bad day for the prancing ponies.

The ford also gets a lower BOOST pressure which means less POWAAR, so i think its fair.

 

[4 8 15 16 23 42 108]

I remember Silverstone. The deserved and clean winner was disqualified for a wooden floor being worn a little too much.
Now two manufacturers betray the sport and still are allowed to run 2 seconds faster?
I hope so much that Aston and Corvette can gain more than we experts expect.

 

[fortyfivekev]

GTE/GT3 as we know it today wouldn't exist at all without BOP so it seems silly to moan about it. Look around for another formula where front/mid/rear engined cars from 20+ manufacturers with completely different bodywork styles and engine types and sizes race competitively together and let us know when you find one

The main problem is having a championship where one race is way more important than all the others so you get Ford building a low drag Le Mans special that will probably go back to being slow again for the rest of the season. The Ferrari at least will be fast everywhere as they want to sell cars to people who cannot race a Le Mans but Ford aren't going to do that so they don't care.

 

[Erwin Greven]

It is true that Ford entered a purposed build race car for Le Mans. We saw it win at Laguna Seca by fuel mileage and being faster that many LMP2 cars at the Kemmel Straight @spa. (5th top speed when it would be listed as a LMP2).
Personally i think that the ACO and the FIA let Ford race at Le Mans only because of the 50th anniversary of their victory in 1966. According the spirit of the GT3/GTE rules, they could never have raced at Le Mans 2016. You theoretically can order a GT at Ford's factory, but it is not even build yet, while all the other brands have already a street car. Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley, Mercedes, BMW, GM (Corvette), Audi, Aston Martin....
One wrote this at twitter: "the Ford win feels a bit as a Lance Armstrong win. Great win, but lacks integrity."

 

[Grand Tourist]

It is true that Ford entered a purposed build race car for Le Mans. We saw it win at Laguna Seca by fuel mileage and being faster that many LMP2 cars at the Kemmel Straight @spa. (5th top speed when it would be listed as a LMP2).
Personally i think that the ACO and the FIA let Ford race at Le Mans only because of the 50th anniversary of their victory in 1966. According the spirit of the GT3/GTE rules, they could never have raced at Le Mans 2016. You theoretically can order a GT at Ford's factory, but it is not even build yet, while all the other brands have already a street car. Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley, Mercedes, BMW, GM (Corvette), Audi, Aston Martin....
One wrote this at twitter: "the Ford win feels a bit as a Lance Armstrong win. Great win, but lacks integrity."

Why aren't the other manufacturers filing a complaint? Seems like they would have valid grounds for it. As you might have read, I am not a fan of bop and 101 restrictions but I do agree that if the ACO/FIA has been very strict in the past for other brands no exception should be made now. ...like they didn't allow the poor chaps from Toyota to end second when they did manage to finish after that disastrous final lap failure.
Also, what is the point of having a bop system when it's used conveniently?
That's why I would like to see more divisions for all those cars, makes it easier for applying rules in a single division.

 

[TomcatMF]

I am actually against bop. It sufficates the innovative and better performing team and barely helps the weaker teams, resulting in what seems an equal field, but in truth we see a lot of cars not using their full potential.and a grid drawn downwards by the weaker performing or underdogs.
In stead, create that extra GT niche, similar to LMP1 where innovation and yes, money by manufacturors are the base of ultra performing vehicles. It could all be so easily solved....
LMP Ultra - manufacturor only - top speed restrictor - minimum weight
LMP1 - privateer vs manufacturor - budget investment restrictions to ensure competition
LMP2 - same as LMP1
GT Ultra or GT Prototype - same as LMP Ultra - no homologation rules
GT Pro - same as LMP1 - homologation rules applied
GT E - privateer only - homologation rules applied - same budget restrictions

There is no bop in this, unless the basic restrictions like in any motorsport division. Lots of room for innovative and creative designs, technical or aerodynamic or whatever,....
Of course, safety devices have to be there for every divison as we currently know them. But if too many rules are being applied, it will all end up like F1 today.

I have it like this in my head, bur who am I?

It used to be like this, GT1 was pretty much unlimited, but then Corvette dominated the class and it got too expensive, and by 2005 they were running in that class without any other competition due to cost. Everyone else went to GT2 because it was more affordable, which became what GT Pro is today.

 

[Grand Tourist]

It used to be like this, GT1 was pretty much unlimited, but then Corvette dominated the class and it got too expensive, and by 2005 they were running in that class without any other competition due to cost. Everyone else went to GT2 because it was more affordable, which became what GT Pro is today.

Then would a budget restriction be a good idea so teams still can choose where they want to spend their money on? Like for instance innovate or extra parts purchase, training up youngsters vs bringing in big names, ....and so on. That way costs will be kept under control? I know this discussion is in vain and it won't change a thing in FIA-land but I find it interesting to get to hear other opinions.