Stevens keeps G-Drive WEC seat for Shanghai

The former Manor Formula 1 driver was instrumental in G-Drive Racing’s first LMP2 win of the season last weekend at Fuji, and Motorsport.com understands that he will continue to deputise for Rene Rast, who completed the first six races of the season for the Russian-entered team.

Rast, who has been the benchmark performer in the majority of the WEC races he has entered in 2016, missed the Fuji race due to a call up with Audi to replace Mattias Ekstrom for the final DTM rounds at Hockenheim last weekend.

The German will miss another round in China because of the fact that his wife is due to give birth that week, but the 30-year-old could return for the final round at Bahrain in mid-November. 

Stevens is therefore again set to join Alex Brundle and Roman Rusinov in the Jota Sport-run Oreca 05-Nissan. Official confirmation is due to come this week.

The Briton began the season with the Manor team, competing in the opening Silverstone and Spa rounds before moving across to G-Drive Racing in what initially was to be a one-off when the team parted company with Nathanael Berthon at the end of May. 

After helping G-Drive finish as runners-up to the Signatech Alpine team at the Le Mans 24 Hours, Stevens was absent from the next three WEC rounds before getting the call-up to replace Rast in Japan.