ByKolles adds European Le Mans champion Oliver Webb to WEC line-up

The 24-year-old Briton, who claimed the 2014 ELMS title with the Signatech Alpine squad, will make the move to P1 after two years in LMP2 to share the solo ByKolles Racing CLM-AER P1/01 with team regulars Pierre Kaffer and Simon Trummer.

Webb explained that his initial intent had been to continue in LMP2 for a second season in the WEC, which he contested last year with the Swiss Morand team.

"P2 was my original plan and I was talking to a number of top teams," he told Autosport.

"But I only wanted to do P2 if I could do it with a top team and at the last minute I started speaking to ByKolles, who started telling me about all the updates they have planned for the car.

"This will give me the chance to showcase what I can do against two experienced team-mates and hopefully we can have a good go at winning the category [for LMP1 privateers]."

ByKolles director of racing operations Boris Bermes described Webb as a "great asset to the team".

"Oliver is a young and fast sportcar driver, who has been able to gain a lot of experience over the past few years," he said.

"His achievements in endurance racing speak for themselves: we have been watching his career for a long time and were already impressed when he was in single-seater racing."

ByKolles, like privateer P1 rival Rebellion Racing, has switched from Michelin to Dunlop tyres for 2016.

The team's new signing is getting his first taste of the CLM, running in near-2015 specification, at a Dunlop tyre test at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain this week.

Webb, who won last year's Dubai 24 Hours with the Black Falcon Mercedes team, hasn't ruled out dovetailing a programme of GT racing with his WEC assault.

"I have been talking to a couple of gentleman drivers about the European Le Mans Series, and I'd love to do something else so long as it doesn't interfere with the WEC," he explained.