Ferrari and BMW were docked all of their GT championship points for having performance in excess of IMSA determined thresholds. The decision is based on IMSA’s differentiated approach to the 24 Hours of Daytona. The process required a series of homologation testing sessions to set standard for a more competitive field. As a result of the violations, both Ferrari and BMW received a $25,000 USD fine. Both were also docked all manufacturers’ points earned in both the WeatherTech Championship and Endurance Cup being removed. This means that Ferrari loses 350 points in GTD Pro and 320 in GTD for the championship race. BMW will lose 300 and 250 points for GTD Pro and GTD, respectively. They will also lose 15 Endurance Cup points in GTD Pro and 9 in GTD.
According to the notice sent to Ferrari: “The IMSA Technical Committee and the IMSA supervisory officials have unanimously determined that Ferrari’s demonstrated performance in the Daytona 24-hour race exceeded IMSA’s expectations as shared in the GT Manufacturers Technical Working Groups. The goal was to ensure the demonstrated performance of the best example of each manufacturer’s car model would be within a targeted performance window — allowing for competitive equivalency.” The notice for BMW was simar in content and reprimand.
The teams cannot protest as IMSA has final say on these matters. Opinions on the decision are mixed on social media.