The switch via an 18 month ‘Super Season transition to a winter-based FIA WEC calendar is having some knock-on effects to teams and manufacturers.

One of those is set to potentially affect the Aston Martin Racing outfit, set to reveal their 2018 spec Aston Martin GTE weapon in the coming months, the development car already in early testing.

The issue, currently uniquely for the new Aston Martin though, is that against the current ruleset the GTE AM class will not see the new car until the 2019/ 20 season,after the 2019 Le Mans 24 Hour and months later than would have been the case, giving AMR a major headache in retaining and attracting customers in a marketplace where other alternatives are readily available.

AMR then are looking for approval to introduce their new car into customer hands from the start of the 2018/19 season, no decision is yet available from the rule makers.

A senior AMR source confirmed the request had been made to approve the car for the GTE Am class for the FIA WEC next season but with a carrot attached to the proposal:

“We’re very confident that if we get the nod for the new car to compete in Am then there will be two cars for the full (2018/19) Championship season. As things stand without the new car the real potential is we might very well have none!”