G-Drive Racing are in the midst of a change of plans for their TDS Racing-run effort in the 2018 European Le Mans Series, after a request to the organisers for approval of the three-man crew provisionally announced for the season: Roman Rusinov, Matthieu Vaxivierre and Jean Eric Vergne, was refused.

The trio, Rusinov and Vaxiviere both Gold ranked and Vergne a Platinum, outside the regulations which require a Silver, the team initially attempting to argue that Rusinov’s pace would not offer an advantage despite his Gold ranking.

Both TDS ORECA 07 Gibsons, the team also mounting a single-car effort in the FIA WEC, are at Aragon for a Dunlop tyre test, Vaxiviere present in that car alongside Francois Perrodo and new for 2018/19 team-man Loic Duval.

Vergne is not testing this week though and whilst both Rusinov and TDS Racing were tight lipped on their plans, Alexandre Imperatori and Andrea Pizzitola (Gold and Silver ranked respectively) were both with the team and could well be part of the revised plan.