Toyota has formally confirmed that it will participate in the LMP1 division of the World Endurance Championship’s ‘Super Season’ across 2018/19.
Toyota’s presence in the series had remained doubtful, accentuated by the exit of rivals Audi (at the end of 2016) and Porsche (at the end of 2017).
The Japanese marque, though, has announce it will continue to race its TS050 HYBRIDs in the championship, with its driver line-up, and further details, to be released at a later date.
“Since 2012, we have taken up the challenge of the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the Le Mans 24 Hours, with race cars equipped with hybrid technologies,” said Toyota President Akio Toyoda.
“Of course, we have always approached this challenge with a desire to drive faster than any other car and to win. Yet our cars carried our desire for more than just that.
“Not only did we want to heighten environmental performance in terms of fuel efficiency and such, we also had a very strong desire to create hybrid cars that made drivers feel that driving is fun, and that made them want to keep at it and want to let the cars keep on going.
“This year, I went to Le Mans for the first time and heard people cheering for Toyota. I also heard many people saying that they would like to see Toyota come out with a hybrid sports car like our cars in the race.
“I, too, would like us to produce just such a car, and I think it would be one that would help make cars fun for the next 100 years.
“This year, our cars were extremely fast on the roads of Le Mans. But they were not able to combine speed with the strength needed to keep at it for 24 hours.
“While wanting to provide cars that our customers will want to ride in and drive, I keenly realised that we have a long way to go.
“It is highly regrettable that our rival in honing technologies on the roads of Le Mans has left.
“Yet the World Endurance Championship, in which cars of different categories race at the same time, and particularly Le Mans, where the battle goes on for 24 hours, including on public roads, still represent the optimal proving ground for achieving the goal of making cars fun for the next 100 years.
“The ever-better cars that Toyota pursues are honed and created via the extreme environment of motorsport.
“That is exactly why we will persistently engage in motorsport, without being swayed by the good and bad of economic times.”
Toyota claimed five wins from nine events in 2017, courtesy of the No. 8 car.
The new WEC season will begin with next May's 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
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