Like nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, who became an Audi ambassador and is involved in the training of Audi drivers, Alexander Wurz will continue to play a role within the outfit. The youngest winner of all time at the 24 Hours, at only 22, the Austrian won a second victory with Peugeot in 2009, 13 years after his first win, thereby beating the record for length of time between a first and second win.

These new duties are in addition to serving as president of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), to the support he gives to Williams F1 drivers and to his driver training and circuit design activities.

Alex Wurz: "I always intended that the end of my racing career would not be the end of my active involvement in motorsport, so I am pleased to start a new chapter in my life with TOYOTA. We have experienced a lot together since the beginning of this project and it is exciting to be part of the team’s future. With a new car coming in 2016 and the WEC going from strength to strength, there is a lot to be excited about as we fight to reclaim our place at the front."

The Toyota TS040 Hybrid took its racing retirement at the same time as Wurz, the first driver to sign a contract with the Japanese manufacturer. The 2014 World Endurance Champion car will move over for the TS050, equipped with a turbo engine, while storage of recovered energy will be via batteries from now on.

Cécile Bonardel / ACO (quotation from Toyota press release) - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, THURSDAY JUNE 12 2014, QUALIFYING SESSIONS. Alexander Wurz, at left, celebrates the pole clocked by his teammate Kazuki Nakajima along with Stéphane Sarrazin.