Since the announcement of Peugeot’s withdrawal from endurance racing and the news that Toyota has decided to run a second LMP1 prototype at Le Mans, the telephone probably hasn’t stop ringing at the latter’s headquarters in Cologne, Germany!

In the end, the team has confirmed that Anthony Davidson, Switzerland’s Sébastien Buemi and Japan’s Hiroaki Ishiura will share the N°8 Toyota TSO30 Hybrid at the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours. Anthony Davidson has been one of the fastest drivers in the French race in recent years, and his amazing run of four consecutive stints on the same Michelin tyres in 2010 (627km at an average speed of 243kph) will be remembered for a long time to come.

Anthony will team up with Red Bull’s third driver in F1, Sébastien Buemi. The N°7 car will be driven by Alex Wurz (Davidson’s team-mate at Peugeot last year), Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima.

Stéphane Sarrazin has been snapped up by Starworks Motorsport, the team which came second at January’s Daytona 24 Hours. The American squad will make its debut at Le Mans with an HPD-ARX03a/Michelin entered in the LMP2 class. Sarrazin will join Ryan Dalziel and Enzo Potolicchio for the French race and will contest the complete World Endurance Championship. Indeed, there is likely to be a close fight in LMP2, since Signatech-Nissan has confirmed that Mailleux/Lombard/Tresson will compete in the world championship in the N°23 car.

In the LMGTE Pro class, Fred Mako has decided to remain at Luxury Racing to contest the WEC in a Ferrari 458, plus a GT1 World programme in a McLaren run by Hexis Racing. Felbermayr-Proton has just announced its drivers for Sebring: Lieb/Lietz/Pilet in the N°77 Porsche/Michelin and Ruberti/Ried/Roda in the N°88 sister car.

During last weekend’s Rally Sweden, the WRC champion confirmed that his new racing team will enter an Oreca 03-Nissan LMP2 prototype in the 2012 European Le Mans Series. Nicolas Marroc will be one of the drivers. The car might be seen at the official Le Mans test day at the beginning of June.

Anthony Davidson, Luxury Racing, Starworks, Stéphane Sarrazin, Toyota