Peugeot gets weight break for Bahrain

Peugeot has received a performance break for this weekend’s Bahrain finale to the World Endurance Championship at the same time as Toyota has taken a hit. The French marque gets a weight break for the eight-hour seasonal finale on Saturday, Toyota a power reduction.

The Peugeot 9X8 (right) will race at a minimum weight 12kg lighter – 1049 to 1061kg – than at Fuji in September under the Balance of Performance issued for Bahrain. The Toyota GR010 HYBRID will have lost four kilowatts, or a shade over 5bhp, and will now run at 509kw rather than 513.

The revisions represent the first changes to the balance between the Peugeot and the Toyota Le Mans Hypercars since the arrival in the WEC of the 9X8 at the Monza round in July. Changes are made under the LMH BOP system according to data accrued over two championship rounds, which the 9X8 has now contested in Italy and then Fuji in September.

Alpine has been given a helping hand for the championship climax, into which drivers Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere and Andre Negrao head equal on points with Toyota’s Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa. Maximum power of the French marque’s Gibson-engined A480 has been increased from 403 to 407kw. The new figure for the Alpine follows a 26kw, or 35bhp, reduction in power for Fuji in the wake of its victory at Monza.

There are also changes to the BOP in what will be the final race for the GTE Pro class. The weights of the Ferrari, Chevrolet and Porsche remain unchanged, but the Ferrari and the Chevrolet will have power reduced from Fuji.

The boost curve for the turbocharged Ferrari 488 GTE Evo has been slightly reduced, while the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R will run an engine air-restrictor reduced in diameter by 0.4mm.