Thomas Laurent will join the Toyota Gazoo Racing LMP1 team as its test and reserve driver for the 2019-2020 FIA World Endurance Championship season.

21 year old Laurent, 21, already has a Le Mans podium to his name, finishing second in 2017 with Jackie Chan DC Racing. That performance paved the way for his first experience of the TS050 Hybrid, during the WEC rookie test in Bahrain in December of the same year.

Thomas has again impressed this season in his first experience of LMP1 competition and scored an outright WEC race win at the 2018 6 Hours of Silverstone after the exclusion of both Toyotas. He is currently joint third in the drivers’ championship.

Starting soon after next month’s Le Mans 24 Hours, in which he will conclude the current WEC season with Rebellion Racing, Thomas will begin work as a Toyota team member, participating in pre-season test sessions as the team prepares to defend its World Championship title next season.

Hisatake Murata, Team President: “I am pleased to welcome Thomas to Toyota Gazoo Racing. He is a very talented and consistent driver, which is particularly impressive considering he is still a young man. Based on his performances so far, I am sure he will continue his rapid development and become a real star of endurance racing for many years to come. Everyone in the team is excited to see his progress.”

Thomas Laurent: “It is an honour to become an official Toyota Gazoo Racing driver, joining a manufacturer team for the first time in my career. Thank you to everyone who has made this possible. My focus at the moment is to enjoy a successful end to the WEC season with my current team at Le Mans, but naturally, I am looking forward to driving the TS050 Hybrid again and being part of a World Championship-winning team.”