Pier Guidi takes Bruni's Ferrari WEC seat

Pier Guidi, 33, will partner James Calado during the season, taking the spot of Bruni, who is heading off to Porsche.

Bruni, who won two GTE Pro WEC titles and 13 WEC races as a Ferrari driver, has negotiated his release from the Italian marque - and is now set to sit out the 2017 WEC campaign.

In a statement, Ferrari says it has terminated its relationship with Bruni by "mutual consent" and that the driver will officially leave the manufacturer at the end of June.

Ferrari held a shootout between four drivers to determine his replacement, and while newcomers Nyck de Vries and Miguel Molina had originally emerged as lead contenders, the manufacturer eventually opted to call up long-time Ferrari man and IMSA driver Pier Guidi.

The Italian was Bruni and Calado's third-driver teammate during the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, making his debut in the race.

He has an extensive CV in GT racing, with his most notable win a GTD Triumph with the Level 5 Ferrari 458 Italia in the 2014 edition of the 24 Hours of Daytona.

While de Vries and Molina have missed out on the seat, it is believed both will be part of Ferrari's GT programme in one way or another, although their exact plans are yet to be determined.

De Vries remains part of the McLaren F1 junior set-up, while Molina was released from the Audi DTM outfit at the end of last year.

Additional reporting by Franco Nugnes