Back to the BoP beginning for AMR (Nearly!)

In preparation to the final round of the 2015 World Endurance Championship at the Bahrain International Circuit next weekend it has been announced that Aston Martin Racing will indeed receive a further Balance of Performance adjustment prior to the race.

Unfortunately what has been announced is simply the restoration of the air restrictor to the size that was used by the team at the start of the season way back in April. It was after Le Mans that the team received instruction to reduce its air restrictor as a part balancing solution to peg back the V8 Vantage's and bring forward the Porsche's. What actually happened was that the Porsche's metaphorically flew off  down the pit straight and into the sunset leaving the Prodrive prepared cars languishing at the rear - sometimes even having their Pro cars behind the Am Porsches!

This action from the FIA might have also gone part way to restoring the balance between the three marques - well it might have had it not been for the tyre performance development that has been entered into by Porsche and Ferrari with Michelin. The Am cars receive a 5kg additional weight across the class.

Unfortunately for all concerned all of this is simply academic with none of the five cars being in contention for either the Pro and/or Am driver championship so the decision is almost simply appeasement by the series to the team for getting things so wrong mid year.


What is good news is the return of the #95 Young Driver AMR to the championship following their 'protest' withdrawal from Shanghai three weeks ago. They also welcome back Nikki Thiim for the first time since Le Mans.

Additionally, the #96 car of Stuart Hall and Francesco Castellacci welcome back stalwart Roald Goethe having missed the WEC rounds in America, Japan and China. Stefan Mucke again is absent from the #97 again although he will race for the team in the Craft Bamboo GT3 Vantage at the FIA GT World Cup in Macau in a couple of weeks.

Photo credits - Richard Leach