The FIA Endurance Committee has published the Balance of Performance for GTE-Pro and GTE-Am for next weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans and has also published details of a new process designed to balance fuel fill times in both GTE classes across the race.
Fuel Stop Times
The fuel fill formula has been designed to ensure that pit stop times across the race are equalised for all cars, the process has been introduced, DSC believes, in no small part to attempt to reduce the chances of post-race penalties after several recent instances of fuel-related exclusions.
Whilst the formula presents itself as a complex series of equations it can be more easily expressed as each car having to spend 2.5 seconds in the pits per lap completed in the preceding stint (3 seconds per lap in GTE Am).
That would see a normal 14 lap GTE Pro stint result in a minimum 35 second fuelling stop (42 seconds for GTE Am), any additional work required during the stop would not be subject to a minimum time limit.
The only exceptions to the above rules would be for the final stop of the race where, effectively, the minimum time is defined by the number of laps remaining in the race, and when the race is being run under full course yellow where a further adjustment is made.
The formula does not prevent teams opting to short-fill their cars to take advantage of running with reduced weight to gain track position and indeed does not prevent a more fuel-efficient car running light throughout to take advantage of the reduction in running weight and therefore tyre wear that would result. Those cars would though still have to comply with the minimum pit stop times which relate solely to the length of the stint.
The relevant time penalties for an error in the minimum times are also defined in the bulletin
WEC 1920 D0043 LMGTE Le Mans Refuelling 08/09/2020 >>
GTE Balance of Performance
Weight
There are no increases for the GTE Pro Aston Marins and Ferraris from 2019, the Vantage GTE stays at 1246 kg, the 488 GTE at 1279 kg.
The debuting (at Le Mans) Porsche 911 RSR-19 will race at 1286 kg, 20 kg heavier than its 2019 predecessor.
Power/ Turbo Boost
The GTE Pro Porsche gets a 30.0 mm air restrictor, almost identical to the spec the car has been running in the FIA WEC this season.
The Aston Martin gets a minor turbo boost break compared to its 2019 race values.
In GTE-Am class the Porsche (1276 kg) and Ferrari (1289 kg) both see a 10-kilo increase in minimum weight.
The Aston Martin Vantage GTE will make its class debut at Le Mans running at 1256 kg.
