The Venezuelan, winner of the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix with Williams, will drive the Franco-American team's LMP2 Oreca 07 alongside sometime Champ Car driver Roberto Gonzalez.

The 33-year-old is moving into sportscar racing for the first time after two years on the sidelines following his second season with Lotus in 2015.

Team boss Elton Julian told Motorsport.com: "I've been after Pastor for some time and have now been able to offer him the right package.

"It's all about putting together a line-up that can win the championship — that's why I went after him."

Julian said that he hoped to announce the third driver for the superseason, which included two editions of the Le Mans 24 Hours, imminently.

He had been working on a deal with another ex-F1 driver in Esteban Gutierrez until it fell through when the former Sauber and Haas driver decided to focus a simulator role with Mercedes.

DragonSpeed's LMP1 Gibson-powered BR Engineering BR1 will be raced in the WEC by Renger van der Zande, Ben Hanley and Henrik Hedman.

Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time F1 world champion, Emerson, will contest the two rounds for which IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship regular van der Zande is unavailable.