Porsche reveals its 2017 WEC 919 Hybrid LMP1 car

Photos of the German marque's revised challenger testing at Paul Ricard last week emerged ahead of its launch during the WEC's prologue test at Monza on Friday.

The 2017 919 is powered by an updated 2.0-litre V4 petrol engine, which it is claimed is the "most efficient combustion engine in the history of Porsche to date", twinned with a 8MJ hybrid system, the same as LMP1 rival Toyota.

Like the Japanese manufacturer with its TS050 HYBRID, Porsche is running in low-downforce spec for the two-day Monza test, which begins on Saturday, but refuses to reveal which aero kit it will use for the Silverstone season opener.

While the chassis remains the same for the third year in a row, Porsche team principal Andrea Seidl does not believe this will negatively impact performance, as "60 to 70%" of the car is new.

"The basic concept of the 919 Hybrid still offers scope to optimise the finer details and further boost efficiency," said Seidl.

"The monocoque has remained unchanged since 2016, but the optimisation potential of all other components was analysed, and in most cases, adjustments made accordingly."

Porsche's driver line-up has undergone a significant reshuffle from 2016, with two of the men that won the championship last year - Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb - dropped.

Neel Jani is the only one of last season's title-winning trio to remain in the #1 car, joined by Audi convert Andre Lotterer and 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Nick Tandy.

Another driver from Porsche's 2015 Le Mans-winning team, Earl Bamber steps up to the #2 line-up alongside Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, replacing the now-retired Mark Webber.