NISSAN POWER DOMINATES COMPETITIVE CLASS AT LE MANS 24 HOURS
Success of customer programme makes Nissan the engine supplier of choice, powering 13 of the 20 LMP2 cars at Le Mans
- Nissan's customer engine programme expands to 13 LMP2 cars in 2012.
- Ex-F1 racer and Sky F1 commentator Martin Brundle returns to the racing cockpit with Nissan at Le Mans.
- After the success of Lucas Ordonez's Le Mans debut in 2011, two GT Academy winners will compete for LMP2 glory in 2012.
In 2011 Nissan returned to the toughest battleground of them all: the Le Mans 24 Hours. Three teams chose to run LMP2 cars powered by the Nismo-tuned Nissan VK45DE 4.5L naturally-aspirated V8 engine. Of those three cars, two finished in first and second place after 24 hours of furious, flat-out racing.
Nissan-powered LMP2 teams won the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup title and the Le Mans Series title in 2011; in fact a Nissan-powered LMP2 car won every single round of the 2011 Le Mans Series.
Nissan has become the engine supplier of choice in 2012 with no less than 13 of the 20 LMP2 cars entered at Le Mans running with Nissan power. LMP2 is the biggest and most competitive class at the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours and it is expected to deliver some of the closest and most thrilling racing ever seen at Le Mans.
Nissan has two partner teams in 2012: Signatech Nissan and Greaves Motorsport, who will run two cars each. In addition, the company supplies engines to ADR-Delta, Boutsen Ginion Racing, Gulf Racing Middle East (2), Jota, Murphy Prototypes, Oak Racing, Pecom Racing and Thiriet by TDS Racing.
Greaves Motorsport is the reigning LMP2 Champion at Le Mans and the British team is running a very special line-up in the No.42 car.
In 1997 Martin Brundle spearheaded Nissan's works effort at Le Mans with the R390 GT1. This summer sees the ex-F1 racer return to Le Mans but this time with his son Alex. They will be joined in the Greaves Motorsport Zytek-Nissan by Lucas Ordonez and the trio have already set the bar high, saying that they are racing to win. There can be no better teacher for Alex and Lucas as Martin has not only won Le Mans outright but he has also won the Daytona 24 Hours and the World Sportscar Championship. Alex and Lucas have youth on their side, in fact Alex was in his mum's womb when Martin won Le Mans in 1990! The three drivers make a formidable team and, as Martin says, "This is a team game; we'll win together and we'll lose together".
In 2011 Signatech Nissan took the first GT Academy winner to the ILMC Championship and the LMP2 runner-up position at Le Mans. This year the 2010 winner of GT Academy, Jordan Tresson, has joined the team for an all out assault on the FIA World Endurance Championship and the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Signatech Nissan is a French team with a long and successful record. The addition of Jordan to the team in 2012 makes for a fully French line up as he joins sportscar expert Franck Mailleux, who is also Jordan's coach, and 2012 Le Mans LMP2 winner Olivier Lombard. Jordan will also have the benefit of a great teacher at Le Mans as he is racing for Philippe Sinault who knows how to get the best performance from his drivers. Sinault expects nothing but the best from his entire team and wants to see the French flag flying high on the podium.
For Jordan, this is the first time he will compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours and he will go head to head with Lucas as they both compete for the honour of being the first GT Academy winner to take a class victory at Le Mans.
With all 20 LMP2 cars evenly matched in terms of performance, LMP2 looks set to provide the most thrilling competition at Le Mans and Nissan will be at the heart of the battle.
NISSAN LMP2
Nissan's engineering excellence has resulted in more than half - 13 out of 20 - LMP2 class cars in this year's Le Mans 24 Hours choosing Nissan engines. At Nissan's two partner LMP2 teams, yet more of the Company's innovation in motorsport is in evidence, with two drivers from its unique GT Academy initiative aiming for a class win. At Greaves Motorsport, inaugural GT Academy winner, Lucas Ordonez, will be looking to go one better than the second place he scored on his Le Mans debut in 2011, as he shares his car with ex-F1 driver, Martin Brundle and his son, Alex. Meanwhile, at Signatech Nissan, second GTA winner, Jordan Tresson makes his Le Mans debut this year alongside Olivier Lombard and Franck Mailleux. To follow their progress, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/nissanineurope for videos, http://newsroom.nissan-europe.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/NissanSportsCars for news and follow @Nissan_OnTrack on Twitter.
