McNish sure of Kristensen fitness

The Dane's participation in the race was only confirmed on Monday, but McNish believes that Kristensen would not have decided to race if he had any doubts over his fitness.

Kristensen had a brief run in a DTM car at Brands Hatch last weekend, and McNish expects that the seven-time Le Mans winner would have been able to judge his fitness immediately after the test.

"As soon as he did his first run in the DTM car he would know whether he was ready or not inside himself," McNish told autosport.com.

"I don't think you can get involved in this programme unless you are 100 per cent able to do it as well as if you hadn't had an accident."

McNish will share the number 2 Audi R10 with Kristensen and Dindo Capello, and the 37-year-old admitted that he long had a feeling that the trio would be racing together despite Kristensen's accident.

"I had spoken to Tom, and he was much more confident leading into the pre-test than he had been before," McNish added.

"After the pre-test, he wanted to know what went on, and normally when you are still in recovery mode, you are not bothered, but he wanted to know and that suggested to me that he was much better."

Kristensen did not drive at the pre-event test nearly two weeks ago, and he will return to the R10 cockpit for the first time since his DTM accident when qualifying begins on Wednesday evening.