BMW and Ferrari had their points deducted in the GTD and GTD Pro categories at the 24 Hours of Daytona for exceeding expected performance levels. The IMSA, governing body of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, determined that both manufacturers violated the anticipated performance levels during the first stage of the championship. IMSA uses complex simulations and data from the December test to determine the Balance of Performance measures. As a result, BMW and Ferrari had their manufacturer points and Endurance Cup revoked, but their final positions in the race remain unchanged.
The winner of the GTD Pro class at Daytona was the Ferrari 296 #62 from Risi Competizione, which started the race in third place and secured the team’s first victory in the event. Ferrari’s manufacturer points for the 320 GTD and 350 GTD Pro were withdrawn, along with their 14 and 15 points from the Endurance Cup, for violating Sporting Rules Annex 2.2.7. They were also fined $25,000. BMW faced the same penalties and fine for the same regulatory violation. The Paul Miller Racing #1 BMW M4 GT3 car was the highest-placed BMW in the GTD Pro class, finishing in third place, and that podium position remains unchanged.
Both BMW and Ferrari had a significant number of points deducted. BMW lost 300 GTD manufacturer points and 250 GTD Pro points, leaving them with only 21 classification points from the Roar Before the 24. Ferrari now has only 26 points. Additionally, BMW lost their 15 Endurance Cup points and nine GTD Endurance Cup points.
As a result of the penalties, Chevrolet now leads the GTD Pro Endurance Cup manufacturer standings with 13 points, followed by Porsche and Ford with 10 points each. In the GTD category, Mercedes-AMG is at the top with 18 points, followed by McLaren with 13 points and Lamborghini with 10 points. Porsche leads the overall GTD Pro manufacturer standings with 355 points, followed by Aston Martin with 202 points and Chevrolet with 290 points. In GTD, Mercedes-AMG leads with 371 points, followed by Lamborghini with 328 points and Porsche with 312 points. Ferrari has only 26 points, while BMW has 21 classification points.
