Chatin therefore joins DC Racing regulars Ho-Pin Tung and David Cheng in the #35 Alpine A460 for this weekend’s 6 Hours of Fuji - and the Frenchman will be back for the following races at Shanghai at Bahrain.

The 24-year-old raced in WEC full-time alongside Panciatici with the Signatech Alpine team last year before joining the European Le Mans Series with Panis-Barthez Competition for 2016.

He is also a former champion in ELMS, taking the title in 2014 with Signatech along with Panciatici and Oliver Webb.

The other late change on the 6 Hours of Fuji entry list comes from Strakka Racing, which will field only Jonny Kane and Lewis Williamson in the #42 Gibson this weekend.

Team owner and regular driver Nick Leventis has been forced to sit out the event due to a lung infection.