WEC celebrates 100th race at Fuji with Alpine receiving major BoP power increase

The FIA has published the Balance of Performance for the 6 Hours of Fuji on September 28th, the 100th race of the WEC, with modifications to the power of several Hypercar contenders. The adjustments were based on the best two of the three previous regular events, excluding data from Austin due to the wet conditions that limited useful information for the regulators.

Fuji will be the one hundredth race since the championship's establishment in 2012. The circuit has been on the WEC calendar since its inaugural season, being one of the few tracks to have hosted more than ten rounds of the championship.

The track located at the foot of Mount Fuji features a 1,475-meter main straight, the longest on the current calendar, which amplifies the impact of the BoP power adjustments.

Photo By Carlos Castillo

Alpine receives the largest BoP boost

The regulators granted the Alpine A424 the most generous power increase: an additional 6 kW, raising its configuration to 512 kW (686 HP). The adjustment includes an improvement in the power gain from -4.5% to -3.9% above 250 km/h, plus an extra 3 MJ of hybrid energy per stint.

This substantial modification comes after the most difficult weekend for Alpine in 2025. In Austin, the #35 finished 11th, over a minute and a half behind the winner, and the #36 completed only 116 laps due to technical problems, finishing 15th and losing four laps to the leader.

Aston Martin retains maximum BoP configuration

The Aston Martin Valkyrie maintains the most favorable BoP configuration: 520 kW of maximum power, a minimum weight of 1,030 kg, and 0.0% power gain. As the only non-hybrid LMH on the grid, the Valkyrie receives only 1 MJ of additional fuel energy, reaching 919 MJ per stint.

In Austin, both Aston Martins retired from the race: the #009 retired after 106 laps (classified 17th) and the #007 retired after completing 102 laps (18th).

Photo By Carlos Castillo

Porsche returns where it won in 2024

Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Matt Campbell return to Fuji after conquering Austin with an 8.625-second lead, breaking a winless streak that dated back exactly to this same circuit in 2024. The Estre-Vanthoor duo had won at Fuji 12 months ago with André Lotterer as the third driver.

The #6 Porsche 963 receives an additional 2 kW (490 kW total) in the new BoP. The 963 showed superior speed in the wet conditions at Austin, recording the best race lap time of 2:03.443.

Toyota faces its most delicate moment at home

The manufacturer that has owned Fuji Speedway since 2000 arrives with the smallest BoP increase: just 1 kW additional, taking the GR010 Hybrid to 484 kW. The problems in Austin were devastating: the #8 finished 9th, over a minute behind the winner, and the #7 suffered serious technical problems that left it 14 laps down.

This performance extends Toyota's streak without a podium to six races, the longest since the start of the Hypercar era. At a circuit where they have won nine of the 11 editions held, the weight of local pressure could be decisive for Sébastien Buemi, who is seeking his fifth individual victory at Fuji.

Photo By Carlos Castillo

Peugeot improves power gain after good result in Austin

The #94 and #93 Peugeot TOTALENERGIES cars finished third and fourth in Austin, separated by less than six seconds. This performance earned the 2024 9X8 the most favorable improvement in power gain: from -7.3% to -4.8% above 250 km/h, while maintaining the maximum power of 520 kW alongside Aston Martin.

Photo By Carlos Castillo

BMW and Cadillac with contrasting adjustments

The BMW M Hybrid V8 gains 2 kW, up to 501 kW, with an improvement in power gain (from 1.4% to 1.0%). The increase comes at a circuit where BMW achieved its first podium in the Hypercar category in 2024. Meanwhile, the Cadillac V-Series.R experiences the only base power decrease: -1 kW to 510 kW, although it improves its power gain from 0.2% to 1.0%.