The Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo has received the largest weight increase in a wide-ranging Balance of Performance (BoP) adjustment ahead of Sunday’s 2026 Suzuka 1000km.
An updated BoP table distributed by SRO Motorsports Group adds 20kg to the Mercedes-AMG’s minimum weight following Saturday’s Qualifying sessions. BMW, Ferrari and Ford have also received additional ballast, while Chevrolet and Lexus benefit from weight reductions ahead of the fourth round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge season.
The revisions come after the #77 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo produced comfortably the quickest three-driver average in Qualifying. However, the car subsequently lost all of its Qualifying times after post-session scrutineering found it below its required minimum weight.
Mercedes-AMG receives largest Suzuka 1000km BoP change
Mercedes-AMG faces the most significant adjustment, with the GT3 Evo receiving a 20kg increase in minimum weight before the race.
Three other manufacturers have also gained weight. The BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo and Ford Mustang GT3 EVO have each received 10kg increases.
The changes affect several cars expected to feature prominently in the race. Miedecke Motorsport by Team MPC’s #64 Ford will start from pole, while PONOS Racing’s #45 Ferrari and Absolute Racing’s #7 Porsche were also among the leading cars in the final Qualifying classification.
No power adjustments have accompanied the weight changes, leaving the revisions focused entirely on minimum weight.
Corvette and Lexus receive weight reductions
While four manufacturers have gained ballast, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R and Lexus RC F GT3 have moved in the opposite direction.
The Corvette receives a 5kg reduction after a difficult weekend in which the car has generally struggled to match the fastest entries. Johor Motorsports Racing fields two Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs at Suzuka, including its Pro-class #2 entry.
The Lexus receives the largest weight break, with its minimum reduced by 15kg. K-tunes Racing’s #96 Lexus RC F GT3 represents the manufacturer in the field.
Porsche and Nissan are not among the manufacturers receiving the stated weight changes, while the revised table includes no power alterations for any of the GT3 models competing in the 50th edition of the Suzuka 1000km.
Craft-Bamboo pace followed by Qualifying exclusion
The adjustment comes after Craft-Bamboo Racing showed formidable pace throughout Saturday evening’s three-part Qualifying.
Maxime Martin, Kakunoshin Ohta and Luca Stolz initially combined for an average time of 1:58.696 in the #77 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. Their performance placed them almost six tenths clear of the rest of the field, with Ohta setting the fastest individual lap of Qualifying at 1:58.455.
However, post-Qualifying scrutineering found the Mercedes-AMG 2.5kg below its required minimum weight. Officials subsequently deleted every Qualifying lap set by the #77, dropping the car from the top of the order to the rear of the classified field.
The car had already carried a three-place grid penalty after Ohta exceeded the permitted speed during a red-flag period in Friday’s Night Practice. The Qualifying infringement proved considerably more costly, removing the advantage Craft-Bamboo had established through outright pace.
Ford inherits landmark Suzuka 1000km pole
Craft-Bamboo’s exclusion promoted Miedecke Motorsport by Team MPC’s #64 Ford Mustang GT3 EVO to pole position.
Christopher Mies, Dennis Olsen and Frédéric Vervisch combined for a 1:59.277 average, narrowly beating PONOS Racing’s Ferrari after Craft-Bamboo dropped out of the leading order.
The result gives Ford its first pole position in Intercontinental GT Challenge competition and puts the Mustang at the front for its Suzuka 1000km debut.
However, the Mustang will now carry an additional 10kg following the revised BoP. Ferrari also gains 10kg, meaning several of the cars at the front of the grid will begin the race with altered minimum weights compared with the configurations used during Qualifying.
Revised BoP adds another variable before Suzuka start
The changes introduce another factor ahead of a race in which teams have already dealt with wet testing, limited dry running and a heavily revised starting order following Qualifying penalties.
Mercedes-AMG faces the largest adjustment after showing the strongest outright Qualifying pace, while Ford, BMW and Ferrari receive smaller increases. Chevrolet and Lexus, meanwhile, gain weight reductions as they look to improve their competitiveness over the six-and-a-half-hour race.
The #64 Miedecke Motorsport by Team MPC Ford will lead the field to the green flag when the 2026 Suzuka 1000km begins at 12:50 local time, with the latest BoP adjustments adding another strategic and performance variable before the 50th running of the Japanese endurance event.
