With the FIA World Endurance Championship season set to get underway with this weekend’s Six Hours of Silverstone, we break down some of the key changes to the sporting regulations:

***World Championship titles will now be awarded to the top GTE drivers and manufacturer, in addition to the overall World Champions in those two categories.

***Tire limitations have been put into place in LMP1 and GTE-Pro, with both classes permitted only four sets of tires, plus two spares, in each six-hour race. LMP2 and GTE-Am remain unchanged.

***Penalties for tire infringement are now at the stewards’ discretion. Previously, any infringement resulted in a drive-through penalty.

***Season-long engine limitations in LMP2 have been removed, with LMP1 Hybrid now being the only class with a limit of engines, at five power plants for the entire nine-round championship.

***GTE-Pro and GTE-Am teams will be allowed to change engines between qualifying and the race, and no longer incur a three-minute stop-and-hold penalty.

***The fastest driver in LMP2 and GTE-Am is no longer required to start the race.

***The number of authorized test days for LMP1 teams has been reduced from 10 to 7 for closed private testing, with LMP2 teams only allowed two days for closed testing and eight days for open testing. GTE-Pro and GTE-Am teams are each permitted ten days of closed testing, with no limit to open private testing.

***Total wind tunnel time has been rescued from 1200 to 800 hours for all manufacturers, while LMP2 teams are not permitted to conduct wind tunnel testing.

***The end-of-year Rookie Test in Bahrain will now be mandatory for the LMP2 and GTE-Pro class champions, which will be required to field at least one car. As in the case in LMP1, drivers will be selected by the promoter.

***There will be only one formation lap, instead of the previous two, in the six-hour races this year.