Ferrari has requested ACO to impose the ‘Balance of Performance’ prior to the landing of the WEC in Bahrain for the LMGTE-Pro category, as the performance tuning that has been applied in the 6 Hours of Bahrain has been totally disappointing. The forceful 1-2 of Porsche and the lack of performance of the Ferrari 488 GTE Evo are the arguments used by the Italian brand to request this change in the ‘BoP’. Ferrari’s GTEs have been weighed down by a reduction in turbo pressure which resulted in the loss of 25 hp of power.
At Ferrari they don’t understand that FIA and ACO have applied the so-called ‘black ball’, regulation that allows the level of performance to be adjusted regardless of the automated ‘Balance of Performance’ system that prevails in the LMGTE-Pro category, especially seeing the result of the applied change. As a result of this adjustment and Porsche’s doublet, the Italian brand has lost the leadership of GTE constructorswhile the lead of James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi in the drivers standings has been reduced to one point. In fact, from Ferrari they assure that if the ‘BoP’ is not adjusted it will be like handing the title to Porsche on a platter.
Antonello Coletta, responsible for the Ferrari GT project in the WEC, has explained in this regard: «As we mentioned on the eve of the 6-hour race, the ‘Balance of Performance’ was particularly punitive with our cars, which was evident with the race pace and the final result. We regret not being able to defend the leadership acquired in the previous appointments as a result of beautiful and exciting duels. We await a move from the FIA and ACO so that the correct ‘BoP’ criteria are restored for the last race, so that we can try to fight on equal terms for world titles.