WEC: the science behind the latest BoP adjustment

Round 5 of the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship, the 6 Hours of Monza, marks the second Balance of Performance adjustment of the season for the Hypercar-class cars and reflects the new approach adopted pre-season that was developed by WEC’s governing bodies, the FIA and the ACO, with the input of all manufacturers involved

As part of this approach, it was agreed that there will be only two BoP adjustments over the course of the 2023 season, after the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as balancing out the LMH and LMDh platforms prior to that race.

THE LE MANS EXCEPTION
The first few races of the season showed performance differences between different LMH-spec cars competing in the Hypercar class to be greater than initially targeted. Considering these factors, and following an in-depth analysis of available data, the WEC Committee decided that the goal of ensuring a level playing field within the Hypercar class will be best achieved by implementing correction between, but also within, the LMH and the LMDh platforms.

PRE-MONZA CHANGE PART OF THE PLAN
Following a close race at Le Mans, with no less than five different manufacturers leading the race at different stages, the pre-6 Hours of Monza BoP adjustment was part of the original plan and is based on the methodology that involves correlation between simulations and on-track data from telemetry.

The data gathered over the 24 Hours of Le Mans race was broken down and correlated with simulation tools, allowing for a better understanding of the optimal performance potential of each of the cars.

The adjustment assigns different values to all three of the circuits remaining on the schedule this season – Autodromo Nationale di Monza, Fuji Speedway and Bahrain International Circuit – taking into account the unique characteristics of each of the three layouts.