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Next year's official pre-season World Endurance Championship test at Monza has been moved back a week to avoid a clash with a visit of the Pope to the Italian city.

Pope Francis will visit Monza on March 24-25, the days on which the WEC's 'prologue' was originally scheduled.

The two-day test has now been moved back eight days for what the WEC described as "organisational and security reasons" to April 1-2.

That means it will take place just two weeks before the opening round of the season at Silverstone.

The official European Le Mans Series test will remain on March 28-29.

The WEC and ELMS tests have been moved from Paul Ricard to Monza for 2017.

