DTM Manthey controversy: Calls for harsh penalties over BoP bluff

But let's look at the facts: The qualifying runs, which were called on short notice for Friday as a 20-minute session with a new set of tires and subsequent technical scrutineering, were dominated by Mercedes-AMG. Lucas Auer set the fastest time of 1:28.204 - just 0.002 seconds ahead of Jules Gounon and 0.006 seconds ahead of Maro Engel.

Preining, the best driver in the new Evo version of the Porsche in eighth place (1:28.731), was 0.527 seconds off the pace. This was striking, as the Manthey driver had already clocked a 1:28.351 during the official test in Spielberg, nearly four-tenths faster. In Saturday’s qualifying, pole-setter Engel set a new lap record with a 1:27.403, while Preining took third with a 1:27.451 - 1.280 seconds faster than his Friday BoP run.

ECE value and track temperature? How Manthey explains the jump

How does Manthey explain the jump? Patrick Arkenau, who acts as Racing Director at Manthey, points to the track conditions and the ECE correction factor. This is the standard procedure for normalizing dyno measurements to eliminate environmental influences such as air pressure and temperature.

The ECE value was "two percent worse on Friday at that time than during the test and the actual qualifying," Arkenau explains. "In the end, that accounts for almost exactly two percent of engine power." With an output of 500 hp, that amounts to ten hp. "A large part of the difference can be explained by that alone."

But doesn't that also play a role for the Mercedes-AMG GT3? "We had a track temperature that was 13 degrees higher on Friday than in qualifying," Arkenau adds. "We know our car is sensitive to that - that's also part of the explanation. And we are still learning with the new tire."

Arkenau's dig at AMG: "I’d sweep my own doorstep first"

What does he think about draconian penalties if someone bluffs on the BoP? "I would also welcome more transparency, but there are two sides to the coin," he says critically. "How can I even differentiate between normal development and sandbagging? Do I want to punish a driver who had a bad day and then has a good day? I can't punish something I can't prove."

Arkenau couldn't resist a small dig at Mercedes-AMG: "If three cars from one manufacturer are within six-thousandths of a second in that run, you could also say they might know exactly how fast they need to drive. Before leaning out the window as a manufacturer, I would perhaps sweep my own doorstep first."

Are the new sensors useless?

What is also frustrating some teams: Before the new season, new standardized sensors had to be installed in the cars. These measure, among other things, tire pressure, tire temperature, ride height, and fuel flow to make BoP classification more accurate and to monitor the teams more effectively.

For older models like the Mercedes-AMG GT3, this resulted in costs of around 100,000 euros per team. "It was completely unnecessary if you see that data was taken during this BoP run - and then a participant who is almost a second and a half faster afterward isn't penalized," says one team member who wished to remain anonymous.

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