[chernaudi]

Fact is that there was an agreement between IMSA and the ACO to avoid a date clash between two sports car sanctioning bodies and series. Now the ACO want to re-create that to accommodate one driver whose day job is in a completely different series and one team who wants to employ him.

The reason for avoiding the clash was to accommodate numerous drivers and several teams who have ties to both series.

IMO, this is the ACO shafting teams and drivers with commitments to both IMSA and the WEC for what is at this stage has the image of a ACO/Toyota PR stunt, even if Alonso is firmly dedicated to the program.

Yes, IMSA can change their date for PLM, but this is IMO the ACO backing out of an agreement in an attempt at a press power play.

And in my opinion, between neither series knowing what they want to do beyond 2020 for their top class and this, the IMSA/ACO rivalry is still on.

Ironic thing is that Toyota have gotten pulled into this, since I doubt it was originally their intent for Alonso to do all the WEC races at least in 2018. They probably would've been happy with Le Mans and a couple of other appearances. But the ACO want press leverage, something that they can do by balancing performance between Toyota and the privateer teams and play up the fact that they have the healthiest LMP1 grid in nearly a decade.