Toyota welcomes new WEC hypercar regs for 2020

Toyota has welcomed the planned hypercar regulations announced by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and the FIA World Endurance Championship for the 2020 season, saying it looking forward to playing a role in helping finalise them in the coming months.

Following the exit of three manufacturers from LMP1 in recent years, the FIA has been working hard to try and find a new set of top tier regulations for the WEC, with details being outlined in an announcement made on Friday ahead of this weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Toyota is currently the only manufacturer racing in the hybrid-powered top level of LMP1, joined by a handful of non-hybrid privateer teams, but the category will be replaced by the to-be-named hypercar-style class from 2020.

Toyota is currently only committed to race in the WEC until the end of the current 'super season', finishing in June 2019, but the Japanese marque issued a statement saying it welcomed the announcement made by officials regarding the future of the series.

"Toyota Gazoo Racing welcomes the announcement by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest regarding future regulations for the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship," the statement reads.

"We look forward to working constructively with the ACO, the FIA and all stakeholders to finalise the regulations for 2020 and beyond, which we hope will encourage other manufacturers to participate in, and strengthen, the top level of endurance racing."

Toyota is aiming to score its first victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend, having locked out the front row of the grid for the race.