WEC downforce kit rules could spoil early rounds

New WEC rules designed to cut costs restrict Porsche and Toyota to just two bodywork kits this season, down from the three they used last year.

As both kits must be homologated prior to their first use, it gives both LMP1 squads a dilemma over which take to the Silverstone season-opener in two weeks' time.

Toyota has already confirmed it will run in high-downforce trim in Britain, meaning it will not be able to substantially modify that package for the post-Le Mans races later in the year.

Porsche meanwhile is keeping its cards close to its chest, with team principal Andreas Seidl refusing to give away the team's strategy during last weekend's Monza test.

Jani, who teams up this season with Andre Lotterer and Neel Jani in the #1 919 Hybrid, worries that the two Porsches will be scrapping over third behind the two Toyotas if they run at Silverstone with a low-downforce kit.

"Last year you could do a downforce kit for every race - for the first part, middle part and second part of the season," Jani told Autosport.

"Now with two downforce kits it's more challenging which strategy you want to take.

"Do you develop your Le Mans kit until the very end, or your high downforce kit until the very end?

"We could end up going to Silverstone with two completely different cars and we won't have real competition between the two manufacturers.

"It could be difficult if we are in low-downforce against Toyota in a high-downforce setting.

"We could be fighting for third and fourth. I hope it isn't like that, it would be a shame. It's not good for the championship."

PORSCHE UNLIKELY TO COPY TOYOTA SPA STRATEGY

Toyota will run two of its cars in high-downforce spec for Spa, while running its third car in low spec in preparation for Le Mans.

But Jani does not believe Porsche - which only has two cars entered for both Spa and Le Mans - will follow, and predicts instead Porsche will opt to run both cars in Le Mans-spec at Spa.

"History has shown that we always run both cars on the same configuration," said the Swiss driver.

"Spa is the last race before Le Mans so I'm quite sure that you have to go to a low downforce kit there and that's what we've done for the past years. I can't confirm it yet, but I would guess we do that.

"It makes no sense for us to do something else. I don't see any reason why we should change this."