GT1's visit to Ordos features the biggest shake up of the year

The series' arrival in China coincides with the return of the two Lamborghini Murcielagos last run by the Swiss Racing team at the Sachsenring in May.

They will now be fielded by the DKR team - whose single Corvette entry has been taken over by the Exim Bank Team China squad.

Ex-Williams Formula 1test driver Jonathan Kennard will partner Christopher Bruck in the #48 Lamborghini, with Manuel Lauck and Benjamin Leuenberger occupying the sister #47 car.

Meanwhile at Exim Bank regular driver Michael Rossi will team up with Sergio Jimenez in the existing #12 Corvette, while local driver Ho-Pin Tung - fresh from his IndyCar outing last weekend - will share the #11 Z06 with Jeroen de Boer.

Team manager Patick Selleslagh is confident of that his team, running as it has done all season in the colours of the Chinese flag, can be contenders on the weekend.

"Our overall aim is to finish on a high note," Selleslagh said. "It goes without saying that with our young drivers we're out to perform strongly on all these circuits and fight it out for victory.

"In fact these three meetings are also the farewell rounds for the Corvette C6.R GT1 and we want this to happen in style."

Jonathan Hirschi replaces Vanina Ickx in the final driver change, the Swiss driver being confirmed alongside Christoffer Nygaard in the #9 Belgian Racing Ford GT.

Also making its first appearance this weekend is a new colour scheme for the #7 Young Driver Aston Martin of Tomas Enge and Alex Muller, which sports the famous Gulf blue and orange livery following a partnership with Gulf Oil.