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Toyota has reshuffled its driver line-up for its 2014 World Endurance Championship campaign.

Nicolas Lapierre will move from the #7 entry, which he has shared since 2012 with Alex Wurz and Kazuki Nakajima, to the #8 car to drive alongside Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi.

Stephane Sarrazin will move the other way to take Lapierre's place with Wurz and Nakajima in the #7 Toyota TS040 HYBRID for 2014.

A statement from Toyota Motorsport GmbH said that the change around was "designed to maximise the chance of success for each car".

Toyota has re-evaluated its driver line-ups after the first two seasons of its return to top-flight sportscar racing.

Wurz, Lapierre and Nakajima were the first wave of signings and became the drivers of the #7 car, while Davidson, Sarrazin and Buemi were subsequently signed up for the second car, which only contested the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2012.

These line-ups were kept together when Toyota expanded its programme in 2013.

The height of the drivers is known to be one factor in the reshuffle.

Toyota will launch its 2014 programme and the new TS040 at Paul Ricard on March 27 ahead of the mandatory WEC test over the following two days.