It was announced last week that di Grassi, who lost his FIA World Endurance Championship seat after Audi ended its endurance racing programme last autumn, will join Ferrari GT regulars James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi in the #51 Ferrari 488 GTE for Le Mans.

However, di Grassi - who still represents Audi as a factory driver in Formula E - was unable to get the necessary clearance from the German marque to take up the offer to race Toyota's third entry in the La Sarthe classic.

“I had a very good LMP1 season last year and I got approaches from some LMP2 teams, some IMSA teams in the US and also one LMP1 team,” the Brazilian told Motorsport.com.

“I was not authorised to do any LMP1 stuff at Le Mans, but I was ok to do anything else outside that class.

“Audi behaves very well with drivers and us drivers doing other things, they are very fair. I had a couple of offers and they were quite straightforward with me saying I couldn’t do any LMP1."

Motorsport.com understands that Porsche did not speak with di Grassi about a berth in either of its works LMP1 or GTE Pro squads.

The 32-year-old, who has already tested a Ferrari 488 GTE, is relishing the fight between the Italian marque and its class rivals Ford, Chevrolet, Aston Martin and Porsche this season.

“The Ferrari drive is a great option to have and a great opportunity," added di Grassi. "The competition is really high there and now it is a World Championship.

"The only thing I don’t like is the Balance of Performance and I hope the ACO and FIA get a good solution.”

On having di Grassi on board for Le Mans, Calado told Motorsport.com: "It's good to have someone who's had success at Le Mans, because experience is key. He's no slouch, and I look forward to working with him."

Additional reporting by Jamie Klein