Porsche emerged as the largest beneficiary of a race-day Balance of Performance adjustment ahead of the 2026 CrowdStrike 24H of Spa, as reported by Sportscar365.
Officials reduced the minimum weight of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo by 15kg on Saturday morning. Meanwhile, six other GT3 manufacturers received smaller weight reductions before the blue-riband round of GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS and the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and BMW each received 10kg reductions, while Aston Martin, Ford and Lamborghini gained 5kg breaks. Ferrari, Audi and Chevrolet will start the race at the same minimum weights they used during Qualifying.
Porsche receives largest pre-race reduction
Porsche gained the most significant adjustment after its leading representative placed only 16th in the original Qualifying order before officials applied a series of penalties.
The revised BoP lowers the Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo’s minimum weight by 15kg. That reduction could improve the car’s acceleration, braking performance and tyre management across the 24-hour contest, although teams must still execute effectively throughout the race.
The adjustment arrives after Porsche struggled to match Ferrari’s pace during the build-up to the event. However, the race’s changing conditions, traffic and extended duration will create a different challenge from the short Qualifying runs.
McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and BMW lose 10kg
McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and BMW received the next-largest weight reductions, with officials removing 10kg from the minimum weight of each car.
The leading McLaren 720S GT3 Evo qualified second in the original order, while the quickest Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo took fourth. In contrast, BMW’s fastest M4 GT3 EVO ended the session 18th.
The changes therefore provide weight relief across manufacturers that experienced contrasting Qualifying performances. McLaren and Mercedes-AMG already demonstrated front-running speed, while BMW will hope the reduction helps it move closer to the leading group during the race.
Aston Martin, Ford and Lamborghini gain smaller breaks
Officials also reduced the minimum weights of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, Ford Mustang GT3 EVO and Lamborghini Temerario GT3 by 5kg.
The smaller changes complete a widespread revision that affects seven of the 10 manufacturers competing at Spa-Francorchamps.
However, the updated BoP featured only minor engine-related adjustments. BMW and Lamborghini received slight increases to their turbo boost curves, while Ford gained a small engine air-restrictor break.
As a result, weight changes formed the main element of Saturday morning’s revision.
Ferrari, Audi and Corvette weights remain unchanged
The Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R received no minimum-weight reductions.
Ferrari’s unchanged position follows its dominant performance throughout the event’s competitive sessions. The Italian manufacturer topped two Free Practice sessions and Thursday’s opening Qualifying session before controlling Friday’s Superpole.
Alessio Rovera led all four Superpole segments in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari, securing the fastest time and reinforcing the new-for-2026 296 GT3 Evo’s status as the benchmark car ahead of the race.
Arthur Leclerc initially placed the sister #50 AF Corse entry third. However, officials later deleted its times after post-Qualifying scrutineering found that the car’s data logger had not been connected.
Superpole penalties reshape final grid
The #50 Ferrari joined three other cars in losing its Superpole times, including both Aston Martins that had progressed into the final 32 during Thursday’s opening Qualifying session.
Although organisers had yet to publish the final starting grid, the penalised cars faced a move towards the rear of the group that contested Superpole.
Those penalties changed the competitive picture after Ferrari had placed two cars inside the original top three. Nevertheless, the #51 AF Corse entry retained its advantage and will lead the field after Rovera’s commanding performance.
The revised BoP now gives several of Ferrari’s rivals a lighter package for the race. However, the 24-hour distance, changing track conditions and traffic management will ultimately carry far greater importance than a single Qualifying result.
The 79th running of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa will begin at 16:30 CEST.
Watch the race live here and follow along with Pit Debrief‘s live blog.
