Vautier and Rosenqvist team up in Blancpain Sprint

Vautier, 26, ran a rookie campaign in IndyCar with SPM in 2013, having won the Indy Lights crown the year before, but was out of full-time employment for 2014.

He did a part schedule with Dale Coyne Racing in 2015 and was working towards securing a drive with the team for this year, but was ruled out of contention due to budget issues.

The Frenchman has made a number of previous one-off appearances in Blancpain GT in the past, including three outings with AKKA-ASP last year.

Rosenqvist, 24, claimed the European F3 title last year and has since secured both a DTM reserve role with Mercedes and an Indy Lights seat with Belardi.

Team boss Jerome Policand said: "These two drivers, both with brilliant single-seater careers, will face a heavy challenge up against the GT specialists. Vautier, an Indy Lights Champion and an IndyCar driver, has never hid his pleasure at racing in GT, and is already delighted to pick up this new challenge. 

"Rosenqvist is only driver to have won [all] the major F3 events, namely the Macau Grand Prix (twice),
the F3 Masters in Zandvoort (twice) and the Pau Grand Prix.

"These two young wolves should have great potential together."

The Rosenqvist - Vautier entry will be part of a three-car Blancpain Sprint assault for AKKA-ASP, which will also field the #87 for Jean-Luc Beaubelique and Morgan Moullin Traffort and the #89 for Christophe Bourret and Jean-Philippe Belloc.

The team will also contest the Blancpain Endurance schedule, but is yet to announce the drivers for that campaign.