DragonSpeed Team Principal Elton Julian has confirmed in a video message on Twitter (below) that the team will return to their LMP1 programme with immediate effect.

Dallara/ BR Engineering have provided a replacement BR1 chassis for the team after the first chassis was badly damaged in an accident in Qualifying for the 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps at Raidillon that left driver Pietro Fittipaldi with fractures to both legs.

The already damaged chassis suffered further with the measures required to extract the driver safely leaving the team with no car.

The team are now working to attend next weekend’s Le Mans Test Day with their Gibson-engined car for Henrik Hedman, Ben Hanley and Renger van der Zande. The new car is being assembled at Dallara as this goes to print.

The car will run at the Le Mans Test with the BR1’s low downforce bodywork, the team has run for two days at Aragon with the first iteration of the kit, and during the WEC Prologue at Paul Ricard. Both SMP Racing AER engined cars ran with the kit at Spa.