Toyota Gazoo Racing technical director Pascal Vasselon has said that the Japanese manufacturer accepts the changes made to the Hypercar Balance of Performance at the Eight Hours of Portimao, as it is ‘part of the BOP process’.
Both Toyota and Alpine received additional weight and reduced power outputs compared to the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Spa. The GR010 Hybrids are running an additional 26 kilograms at Portimao.
The adjustments led to mixed reactions, as the gap between Hypercar and LMP at the opening round of Spa seemed small at times and a further reduction would only reduce the pace deficit between the two classes.
Speaking to select media at the Portimao circuit, Vasselon backed up the changes made by the championship and explained that the current adjustments are a part of the Balance of Performance process.
“This BOP adjustment is, how we say, exactly part of the BOP process,” he said. “The BOP process includes a so-called ‘initial balance’, which is based on the homologation data.
“The ACO and FIA have a lot of data about our cars, the aero characteristics, measured in the full-scale windtunnel test at Sauber. They have engine data, they have weight, and based on that, they are able to make a rough initial balance.”
“So this adjustment reflects the entry of Glickenhaus, so there is nothing to say on this.”
When pressed if he had complaints about the adjustments, Vasselon responded:
“No, I would say this was a planned process to make sure that, at the beginning of the season, the homologation data are somehow corrected to make sure that we achieve the wanted balance. So this is basically fully acceptable and part of the process.”
Vasselon did go on to comment on the gap between the Hypercars and LMP2 machinery being reduced further.
He stated that the changes made had caused Toyota to lose over half a second per lap compared to the situation at Spa, but did reiterate that this was an unavoidable situation and something the manufacturer would accept.
“What is a bit more negative in the context we have if that this makes us slower, something like 0.6 seconds. And when you remember that the race average at Spa had us 1.3 seconds ahead of LMP2, it means that the gap is further reducing.
So this is somehow a big problem, but from the Hypercar side, not avoidable. This was part of the process.
