The classification for the two Spielberg race days of the DTM has been changed for the Audi, the Porsche and the BMW: But Abt waits in vain for more engine power
Late on Friday evening came Abt’s eagerly awaited second change to the Balance of Performance (BoP) at the penultimate DTM weekend of the season in Spielberg. But whether the Audi teams will be happy with the result is doubtful: because the R8 LMS GT3 Evo II will be ten kilograms lighter than on Friday.
However, the BoP service provider SRO Motorsports Group has refrained from making any changes as far as engine power is concerned – and the unloved 36-millimetre restrictor remains. The Abt team had already demanded more power for the Red Bull Ring after the Sachsenring weekend.
This has to do with the fact that the Audi, which is fast in the corners, has already been classified in such a way that it is less competitive on the straights and is therefore not optimally positioned in the duel. In Spielberg, this is compounded by the altitude of the circuit, from which all naturally aspirated engines suffer.
Tomczyk: “We are losing too much time on the straights “
An advantag for BMW and Ferrari, whose cars are equipped with turbo engines. After the large gap in Friday practice for Kelvin van der Linde and Ricardo Feller, Abt sports director Martin Tomczyk had called for a change in the BoP in an interview with erneut.
“In the infield it looks okay, but on the straights we lose too much time because the top speed is simply too low,” said Tomczyk. “We don’t stand a chance like that.” Ten kilograms less weight brings a small advantage in the lap time, but not on the straights.
The team has a lot at stake, because Feller, in third place in the championship, still has a chance of winning the title. The Audi is not the only car affected by the BoP adjustment before the first race day: The Porsche teams are also allowed to unload five kilograms of ballast on their 911 GT3 R cars.
BMW gets even more ballast
This affects “Grello” driver Thomas Preining, who had already complained about the Porsche’s mediocre top speed during Thursday’s test and who, with a nine-point deficit to SSR Lamborghini driver Mirko Bortolotti, actually has to make up points in the title fight.
There is additional weight for the turbocharged BMW M4 GT3, which had already dominated the Thursday test and was also up front with several cars in Friday practice. Lamborghini, Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG are not affected by the change.
DTM-BoP Spielberg 2023:
Audi: 1.300 kg/2 x 36 mm (restrictor)
BMW: 1,320 kg/2.00 – 2.7 bar (boost pressure)
Ferrari: 1,300 kg/1.78 – 2.52 bar (boost pressure)
Lamborghini: 1.340 kg/1 x 51 mm (restrictor)
Mercedes: 1,320 kg/2 x 34.5 mm (restrictor)
Porsche: 1,305 kg/2 x 39.5 mm (restrictor)
Audi: -10 kg
BMW: +10 kg
Porsche: -5 kg
DTM-BoP Spielberg 2023 (Friday):
Audi: 1,310 kg/2 x 36 mm (restrictor).
BMW: 1,310 kg/2.00 – 2.7 bar (boost pressure)
Ferrari: 1,300 kg/1.78 – 2.52 bar (boost pressure)
Lamborghini: 1.340 kg/1 x 51 mm (restrictor)
Mercedes: 1,320 kg/2 x 34.5 mm (restrictor)
Porsche: 1,310 kg/2 x 39.5 mm (restrictor)
