Porsche hopes 2016 F1 calendar changes to help Nico Hulkenberg

The clash between Le Mans and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku on the latest version of the F1 calendar, which would prevent Force India driver Hulkenberg from defending his Le Mans crown, came as a surprise to Porsche according to its LMP1 team principal Andreas Seidl.

But he revealed that Porsche is still hoping for revisions to the F1 schedule that would allow the German to take up a place in the third Porsche 919 Hybrid alongside fellow 2015 Le Mans winners Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber.

"We saw late changes to the F1 calendar for this year and we hope there still could also be changes for next season," Seidl told Autosport.

"We have to face it and look for an alternative, but there is no rush because the rest of the line-up is fixed."

Hulkenberg also said he was hopeful of a calendar change to allow him to take up a deal to race for Porsche that he described as "pretty much" agreed.

"The calendar is there now, but often it's been out and then it gets changed a little bit afterwards," he said.

"There will be a cut-off point for them [Porsche] as well when they have to confirm their drivers, but I think there's still time."

Seidl explained that Porsche would look "inside and outside" its own camp for a new driver.

He suggested that the LMP1 rookie test, scheduled for the week after the Bahrain World Endurance Championship finale, could yield a candidate for the seat.

Each of the P1 manufacturers has agreed to test at least one LMP2 driver from the WEC in Bahrain.

The clash of a grand prix and Le Mans is the first since 2011, after which the FIA announced its intention to keep the weekend of the 24 Hours free from an F1 race.