6H SAN PAOLO: BOP ANALYSIS

The WEC is back on track this week, and with it comes one of the championship’s most talked-about elements: the Balance of Performance (BoP). This morning, the updated BoP parameters were released ahead of the São Paulo round — the fifth event of the endurance world championship. As always, it’s helpful to have the 2024 BoP figures on hand as well, to avoid rushed conclusions and put the new numbers in context.

In line with what we’ve seen this season — with the exception of the season opener in Qatar — Ferrari and Toyota continue to undergo very similar changes compared to last year. In Brazil, both LMH cars will carry the same weight: 1069 kg. The story changes slightly when it comes to power, which drops below 250 kW: the 499P is capped at 480 kW, while the GR010 is set at 485 kW. It’s a scenario reminiscent of Spa, where Ferrari, Toyota, and Porsche all received a significant power cut compared to their 2024 figures.

For Porsche, this marks the first time in 2025 that it has a weight advantage over Ferrari and Toyota — a throwback to the situation seen last season. However, the power output of the 963s will still be capped below 250 km/h, with an additional -3% reduction beyond that threshold.

There’s some curiosity around Peugeot’s performance this weekend. The 9X8 arrives with a 21 kg weight reduction compared to 2024. Tire degradation — a decisive factor in São Paulo last year — has never been Peugeot’s strong suit, but the new BoP might help mitigate this weakness.

BMW finds itself in a tougher spot. Its LMDh car will be the third-heaviest on the grid, weighing in at 1058 kg, and neither its power output nor its power gain figures look particularly promising. A damage-limitation race seems likely. Alpine is in a slightly better position than BMW but still far from the front-runners.

Cadillac may have a potentially strong package, but the track’s high altitude — which penalizes naturally aspirated engines — combined with a rather limited power gain, could hinder its chances.

Compared to last year, Ferrari seems to have finally solved its tire degradation issues — thanks mostly to the use of softer compounds. That could be a key factor in São Paulo. In 2024, the 499P was strong on single-lap pace but struggled during the second stint, losing significant ground to Toyota and Porsche. Despite being 9 kg heavier and having less power this time around, the Ferraris could still be in the mix — though I wouldn’t call them favorites.

Toyota, which dominated last year’s edition, hasn’t been particularly impressive so far in 2025, but this could be an opportunity to turn things around. Porsche, on the other hand, comes into this round with what is likely its most favorable BoP of the season. After running the first few races with roughly 20 kg more than last year (excluding Le Mans), the team now shows up in optimal conditions. Last year, the #6 Porsche 963 pulled off a remarkable comeback, climbing from the back to finish second after a puncture — even overtaking the #5 car, which had run a clean race.

This year, Estre and Vanthoor are definitely contenders. While tire management isn't quite what it used to be — partly due to the development of Le Mans-specific "joker" upgrades — they’re still my top picks, especially if the weather ends up resembling last year’s unpredictable conditions.

© Simone Marchetti Cavalieri

Race Frame