DTM Lausitzring: Manthey-Porsche’s BoP wish remains unfulfilled

It is the big question before the second race weekend of the 2024 DTM season at the Lausitzring (24-26 May): Can the reigning champion team Manthey-Porsche fight back after the disastrous start in Oschersleben just four weeks ago? In the Magdeburg Börde, DTM champion Thomas Preining and his new teammate Ayhancan Güven were mercilessly trailing, with the Austrian’s best result being tenth place.

Manthey managing director Nicolas Raeder surprisingly identified the change in the minimum vehicle height of the Porsche 911 GT3 R compared to the previous season as the biggest problem. In Oschersleben, the minimum height on the front axle was 101 millimeters, 5 millimeters more than last year (96mm). The minimum height of 120 millimeters on the rear axle remained unchanged.

Manthey-Porsche: Vehicle height remains unchanged

“The fact is that we were very well prepared and sorted out and otherwise made no mistakes,” said Raeder to Motorsport-Magazin.com“The drivers were in a good mood and said that the cars drove well. Nevertheless, we left because the car’s Achilles heel had apparently been hit.” While Manthey-Porsche was unable to test the new BoP specification before Oschersleben, the Meuspath-based team, along with numerous other teams, took part in a test day in the Lausitz this week.

After the “catastrophe” of Oschersleben (“We have never been as far away as here. At the moment we cannot compete properly.”) Raeder had hoped to return to a BoP classification from the previous year as a jumping-off point. However, this wish was not granted at the start of the Lausitzring weekend by the SRO, which is responsible for creating BoPs in the DTM. At the EuroSpeedway, too, the only two Porsches in the starting field will start with a minimum height of 101 millimeters on the front axle.

The BoP before the DTM race at the Lausitzring

On top of that, the two 911s will start with 5 kg of additional BoP weight compared to the last Oschersleben stand, bringing the total to 1,305 kg. The Lausitzring, like Oschersleben, is classified by the SRO as a category ‘D’ race track. BoP changes are made track-specifically to suit the respective characteristics, but major jumps are rare.

This is also the case this weekend before the first free practice session on Friday at 12:00: The Porsches will receive 5 additional kilos, as will the two McLaren 720S GT3s from DTM newcomer Dörr Motorsport. The Audi R8 LMS GT3s from Abt Sportsline are the only vehicles in the field allowed to unload weight and will compete in the Magdeburg Börde with 10 kilos less than last time. BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Mercedes-AMG will initially remain unchanged, although BoP adjustments are possible over the course of the weekend.

In 2023, the victories in Lausitz went to Jack Aitken (Emil Frey Ferrari) and Mirko Bortolotti (SSR Lamborghini), both drivers starting from pole position. Overtaking maneuvers were limited last year, and instead there were numerous retirements: on Saturday and Sunday, nine of the 28 drivers did not see the finish line after collisions or technical problems.

Lausitzring: Balance of Performance (Version 1)

automobile	Base weight	BOP ballast	total weight	Restrictor/Boost pressure
Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II	1,260kg	40kg	1,300kg	2x36mm
BMW M4 GT3	1,265kg	30kg	1,295kg	2.64 bar at 6,250 rpm
Ferrari 296 GT3	1,275kg	35kg	1,310kg	2.50 bar at 4,750 bar
Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2	1,250kg	80kg	1,330kg	1x51mm
McLaren 720S GT3 Evo	1,250kg	40kg	1,290kg	1.78 bar at 4,000 rpm
Mercedes-AMG GT3	1,285kg	30kg	1,315kg	2×34.5mm
Porsche 911 GT3 RS	1,250kg	55kg	1,305kg	2x38mm