6H IMOLA: BOP ANALYSIS

The opening round of the 2025 WEC season left little room for interpretation: Ferrari dominated at Lusail with a commanding 1-2-3 finish, immediately establishing themselves as the team to beat. And yet, unlike last year, criticism of the BoP has been surprisingly quiet. Odd, considering the concerns sparked by some of the changes—most notably, the significant weight reduction granted to the 499P for 2025.

Looking at how things evolved in 2024, many expected a gradual convergence between the “big three”—Ferrari, Toyota, and Porsche—toward a more balanced technical playing field. Instead, the gap has widened: Porsche has jumped up to Toyota’s level, while Ferrari seems to be competing in a league of its own—about as far ahead as BMW and Cadillac are behind.

Given what we saw in Qatar, a significant BoP update was both expected and hoped for ahead of the Imola round. And while an update did come, the direction taken raises eyebrows compared to last year’s choices.

When comparing the new BoP table to that of 2024, things become hard to justify. One year ago, Ferrari ruled at Imola—securing pole position and controlling the race from start to finish (aside from strategic missteps), with only Toyota and a single Porsche (#6) managing to stay remotely competitive. Yet, the latest BoP doesn’t seem to reflect that context. Ferrari’s specs remain virtually unchanged, while Toyota gains weight and loses power (a hefty 16 kW less), and Porsche fares even worse, carrying an additional 20 kg and losing 5 kW compared to last season.

It’s only natural to wonder what kind of race outcome we can expect if this is the starting point. BoP is supposed to level the playing field between inherently different prototypes—not exaggerate the differences. And yet, it seems like a structural gap is being reinforced, counter to the balancing efforts attempted in 2024.

Maybe there’s a variable we’re missing. Maybe Imola will surprise us with a tight, unpredictable battle. But if we go by the numbers, it’s hard to imagine anything different from what played out in Qatar.

Maybe I’m in the minority here, but if this is what technical balance looks like in 2025, I can’t help but raise a few concerns—especially when compared to what was considered “fair” just one year ago. But hey, if this all seems “balanced” to you, more power to you.

© Simone Marchetti Cavalieri

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