Aston Martin gets BoP boost for Spa 6 Hours after poor start to WEC campaign

Aston Martin received a double Balance of Performance break for its Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar ahead of this weekend’s round of the World Endurance Championship at Spa.

The Valkyrie will go to the grid in Belgium 16kg lighter than at last month’s Imola round and with an increase in maximum power of 15kW (20bhp).

The British cars run by The Heart of Racing factory team will weigh in for the Spa 6 Hours on 10 May at 1035kg and be allowed 520kW (697bhp) - the maximum power available in the Hypercar category.

This change in the Valkyrie’s BoP, which is designed to create a level playing field in Hypercar, follows its first two races at which it proved off the pace.

The calculation for the BoP is based on race performance of each Hypercar over the previous three events, but a new car such as the Aston is treated as the fastest car for the races prior to its arrival.

That explains the favourable BoP change for Spa now the Valkyrie’s form at two races, the Qatar and Imola rounds in February and April, is being factored in.

#009 Aston Martin Thor Team Aston Martin Valkyrie: Alex Riberas, Marco Sorensen

Photo by: Shameem Fahath

An increase in the per stint energy allocation for the non-hybrid Aston has accompanied the changes in minimum weight and maximum power. This has been increased by 8MJ to 908.

Every other car bar one in Hypercar has received a weight increase, ranging from 1kg for the Alpine A424 and the Cadillac V-Series.R LMDhs to 12kg for the Ferrari 499P LMH.

The Peugeot 9X8 2024 LMH remains at the class minimum of 520kg and at 520kW max power.

Ferrari’s 499P, winner of both WEC races so far this season, has also lost 19kW in maximum power.

The other big loser in terms of power is the Toyota GR010 HYBRID LMH, which is down 20kW to 480kW (643bhp) as well as having gained 4kg in minimum weight.

BMW’s M Hybrid V8 LMH has gained 7kg in weight and lost 10kW (13bhp) in power.

The Porsche 963 LMDh is up 2kg in weight and down 9kW in power.

#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, Matt Campbell

Photo by: Shameem Fahath

Toyota’s power loss has been mitigated by a 4.7% upward swing under the power gain element of the BoP, which aims to balance straight line speeds.

It will now be allowed 8.3% more power above the 250km/h (155mph) threshold.

Ferrari is up 5.5% under power gain: it lost 1.8% of its power above 250km/h at Imola but for Spa will gain 3.7%.

Compared with last year’s Spa WEC round, won by the Jota privateer Porsche team, Toyota has lost 35kW, Ferrari 17kW, Cadillac 15kW and Porsche 13kW.

The biggest mover in terms of minimum weight, not counting the revised version of the Peugeot which was counted as a new car last year, is the Porsche.

At 1055kg it is now 18kg heavier at 1055kg than the corresponding fixture 12 months ago.

Practice for the final event on the WEC schedule prior to the Le Mans 24 Hours double-points round in June kicks off at 11:30 local time on Thursday.