Winward's Mercedes-AMG GT3 grabbed the 6H Abu Dhabi front row in qualifying, but Q3 got spicy when a red flag nearly killed the session. Technical detail: tire warm-up strategy in the final push mattered more than raw pace. This is endurance racing where qualifying setup is half the battle.

IMSA has borrowed WEC's playbook and added regulatory language that muzzles teams from publicly discussing Balance of Performance adjustments. It's the kind of move that makes you wonder who the rule really protects—the competition or the sanctioning body's ability to quietly tweak the fastest cars mid-season without scrutiny.