We’ll hear more next week too from at least some of the four LMP2 chassis manufacturers for 2017, and likely too from Gibson, makers of the new 2017 spec LMP2 V8 engine, for FIA WEC and ELMS.

The new Oreca 07 Coupe is progressing well and, despite some initial concerns around the balance of the car with the Gibson installed the programme is firmly on track. The good news for current Oreca 05 customers is that Oreca have confirmed that the older chassis are upgradeable with a conversion kit to full ’07’ specification with pricing details set to be publicised next week too.

We’ve had regular updates on the progress with Ligier’s new JS P217 and it’s on the certain side of likely that Jacques Nicolet and co will be using the biggest race meeting of the year as a stage to announce the latest developments with the programme.

If the JS P217 (above in the Onroak wind tunnel) even has a fraction of the sales success of the car Onroak unveiled last year they’ll be happy. That was the JS P3 LMP3 Ligier, and since then at least 46 orders have been placed!

No steer yet as to whether we’ll see or hear anything from either of the other two 2017 chassis manufacturers, Dallara or Riley/ Multimatic though Dallara are known to have customers confirmed on both sides of the Atlantic.

Team sources are suggesting too that we may see at least a display version of the new Gibson V8 with each of the chassis manufacturers expected to receive a single engine apiece in time to start testing in August.