Toyota back up to two cars for World Endurance Championship
Toyota has reversed its decision to field only one TS030 HYBRID in the World Endurance Championship
The Cologne-based Toyota Motorsport GmbH squad had been forced to downscale its plans to run two 2013 versions of its petrol-electric hybrid for financial reasons earlier this month.
It has now been able to go back on that and ramp up its assault to two cars after running one car in the final five races last season.
TMG technical director Pascal Vasselon said: "We were expecting to run one car and now we have two, which is great."
Toyota confirmed last year that it would retain its 2012 driver line-up of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima and Anthony Davidson, Stephane Sarrazin and Sebastien Buemi.
The two Toyotas and two Audi R18 e-tron quattros head a 32-strong WEC entry, which is two up on last year's inaugural series.
Series boss Gerard Neveu said: "Thirty-two cars is an extraordinary entry and we are happy to have an increase in numbers and, I believe, quality."
There are only six full-season LMP1 entries, the privateer Rebellion Racing and British Strakka Racing squads fielding one Lola-Toyota and one HPD respectively.
There are 12 LMP2s entered, including series newcomer HVM Status GP and two of the Kodewa-developed Lotus T128 coupes.
The GTE Pro entry of six cars is made up of a pair of factory entries from Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin respectively.
2013 WEC entry list: LMP1 1. Audi Sport Team Joest Audi Andre Lotterer 2. Audi Sport Team Joest Audi Tom Kristensen 7. Toyota Racing Toyota Alex Wurz 8. Toyota Racing Toyota Anthony Davidson 12. Rebellion Racing Lola-Toyota Nicolas Prost 21. Strakka Racing HPD-Honda Nick Leventis LMP2 24. OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan Jacques Nicolet 25. Delta-ADR ORECA-Nissan John Martin 26. G-Drive Racing ORECA-Nissan Roman Rusinov 28. Gulf Racing Middle East Lola-Nissan Fabien Giroix 29. Gulf Racing Middle East Lola-Nissan Frederic Fatien 30. HVM Status GP Lola-Judd Jonathan Kennard 31. Lotus Lotus Kevin Weeda 32. Lotus Lotus Thomas Holzer 35. OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan Olivier Pla 41. Greaves Motorsport Zytek-Nissan Christian Zugel 44. Starworks Motorsport HPD-Honda Alex Popow 45. OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan David Heinemeier Hansson 49. Pecom Racing (AF Corse) ORECA-Nissan Luis Perez Companc GTE Pro 51. AF Corse Ferrari Gianmaria Bruni 71. AF Corse Ferrari Olivier Beretta 91. Porsche AG Team Manthey Porsche Marc Lieb 92. Porsche AG Team Manthey Porsche Jorg Bergmeister 97. Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Darren Turner 99. Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Stefan Mucke GTE Am 50. Larbre Competition Corvette Patrick Bornhauser 57. Krohn Racing Ferrari Tracy Krohn 61. AF Corse Ferrari Jack Gerber 76. Imsa Performance Porsche Raymond Narac 81. 8Star Motorsports Ferrari Enzo Potolicchio 88. Proton Competition Porsche Christian Ried 95. Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Allan Simonsen 96. Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Roald Goethe
*Drivers named for administrative purposes only and are subject to change.
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