The ex-Manor F1 driver signed on to contest the full World Endurance Championship season with the British squad alongside Tor Graves and James Jakes, including the blue-riband Le Mans event.

However, with G-Drive - which also runs Oreca machinery - needing a driver to join Rene Rast and Roman Rusinov in its line-up after the team parted ways with Berthon, Manor has agreed to loan out Stevens to fill the gap.

The Briton, who will appear for G-Drive at this weekend's Le Mans test day, will return to Manor for the remainder of the WEC campaign.

“The offer to join G-Drive specifically for Le Mans and share the car with Rene and Roman was compelling," said Stevens. "It offered me a race-winning opportunity, which I’m pleased to accept.

"I’m grateful to the Manor WEC Team for releasing me for this occasion and we will continue to work together for the remainder of their first season in endurance racing.

"I’m very much looking forward to my first 24-hour race within this line-up and am very grateful to G-Drive for the opportunity.

"I’m enjoying the whole endurance racing scene and no doubt my first Le Mans will be a special event in my career."

Manor will contest Le Mans with a single car, despite having two entered for the full WEC campaign, with Matt Rao, Graves and an as-yet unnamed driver to replace Stevens.

Jakes and Roberto Merhi, who both have full-time Manor WEC seats, do not have drives for Le Mans.