DTM officials have changed the controversial performance weights system for the 2016 season, which will see the allocation of ballast based on the qualifying result on a percentage-based system.
In the 2015 season the system had been based on the results of the previous race meeting, which meant that if a particular circuit favoured one manufacturer but the following one did not, the marque would be handicapped for the rest of the weekend.
All Audi and Mercedes-Benz cars will enter the first qualifying session on a base weight of 1,120 kg, whilst BMW will enter the session on a base weight of 1,112.5 kg after being handed a special concession.
The exception for BMW comes due to the fact that the car has been judged to be ‘at a deficit compared to the competition’. The disadvantage cannot apparently be offset by technical development due to the homologation restrictions in place.
Performance weights will crucially not be based upon a driver’s fastest lap time in 2016 qualifying sessions, but rather by their theoretical best lap time.
That lap time is based on adding the driver’s fastest sector times together from a qualifying session, with the best sector times typically set on different flying laps.
Performance weights will thus be calculated by taking the fastest theoretical lap time from the fastest manufacturer and comparing it to the fastest theoretical lap time from the other two marques.
Then, based on the percentage differences, the performance weights will be calculated as follows.
- If a manufacturer is within 0.1% of the fastest theoretical lap time, they will be no lighter than the fastest;
- If a manufacturer is between 0.1 and 0.2% of the fastest theoretical lap time, they will be 2.5 kg lighter than the fastest;
- If a manufacturer is greater than 0.2% of the fastest theoretical lap time, they will be 5.0 kg lighter than the fastest.
This results in a possible six different scenarios for the performance weights system.
The limits to the system mean that over the course of the season the weight of a car cannot be reduced by more than 15 kg, with the maximum permissible weight being 1,140 kg.
Based upon a theoretical lap time of 1:27.768 seconds, to be within 0.1 % of the time would have to be no more than 0.087 seconds, and to be within 0.2 % of the time would have to be no more than 0.175 seconds.