Coming into the second round of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship, Sebring-winners Alpine Elf Team have been hit with a Balance of Performance (BoP) power reduction in an attempt to bring the competition closer in the Hypercar class.
As the only Hypercar to have a BoP change going into the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the Alpine will run with a maximum power output of 410kW (550bhp), a reduction of 20kW (26bhp). This is the only element of the car that has been tweaked with minimum weight and maximum energy allowed per stint remaining the same as Sebring.
With no change to the Toyota Gazoo Racing BoP, the Japanese team will have an additional 70km/h it was allowed in dry conditions at the Circuit Spa-Francorchamps last year. Team Principal and driver in the #7 entry, Kamui Kobayashi, told Motorsport.com that he was feeling positive ahead of this race weekend and that the team will be more competitive that it was in Sebring.
“We expect to be fighting at the front and everyone is fully committed to get our first win of the season. Since Sebring, which was a disappointing result for us, the whole team has pushed hard to improve by working together with the drivers, particularly at our test in Portimao earlier this month.
“We worked on some things for Spa as well, which should suit our car better than Sebring, where the bumps had a big impact on car balance and performance.”
