SIR CHRIS HOY REVEALS LE MANS DREAM WITH NISSAN
- Team GB cycling legend begins new motorsport career
- Unique two-way relationship sees Nissan develop Hoy as a racing driver while he supports athletes on the Road to Rio 2016
- Hoy will compete in the 2014 British GT Championship in a Nissan GT‑R NISMO GT3
- Goal is to take Hoy back to the podium with the ultimate aim to gain a seat at the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours
He's an eleven-time world and six-time Olympic cycling champion - but now Sir Chris Hoy will take on a remarkable new sporting challenge. This time on four wheels.
Nissan, the Official Automotive Partner of the British Olympic Association (BOA) and British Paralympic Associations (BPA), recently signed Hoy as a Brand Ambassador on the Road to Rio 2016.
But the relationship will work both ways as Nissan will put Hoy through its advanced Driver Development Programme - currently enjoyed by the winners of the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy competition - fast-tracking his evolution into top-level motorsport.
Hoy, who has already shown great talent in a number of club races, will compete in a Nissan GT‑R NISMO GT3 car in this year's British GT Championship. The ultimate goal of the programme will be to get Sir Chris back on the podium and progress to competing with Nissan in 2016 at the Le Mans 24 Hours - the world's most famous endurance race.
Hoy explained: "Nissan is already a huge contributor to the British economy with its investment in manufacturing, technology and design - now it is also investing in British sporting success via the Team GB and ParalympicsGB programmes. It's fantastic for me to be working with Nissan GB on this.
"When we sat down to discuss the relationship, we talked about how we could make things a two-way street. When I learned what had been achieved through Nissan's Driver Development Programme I was keen to take my enthusiasm for motorsport to the next level. This won't be easy - but I could not turn down the chance to give it a go. My ultimate ambition is to race at Le Mans. That is the dream, but I'm taking this one step at a time."
Nissan GB Marketing Director, Guillaume Masurel said: "At Nissan, we always do things differently. As Britain's biggest vehicle manufacturer, we are proud to commit our support for both the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association on the road to success in Rio 2016. Through our #uniteandexcite campaign we will be giving fans exclusive access to our team of athletes and showcasing their stories and preparation as we count down to Rio 2016.
"Now we can offer another new story, which is a further demonstration of Nissan's innovative thinking. We will be supporting the new talent and new technology through our partnership with BOA and BPA but in this case the new talent happens to be Britain's most successful Olympian. Sir Chris has already shown that he is a very capable driver and by combining our expertise in driver development, a great car and an experienced team with his natural ability, drive and determination, this will be a fascinating journey."
Hoy will race for the experienced Nissan GT Academy Team RJN. NISMO Athlete Alex Buncombe, who has helped all of the GT Academy graduates transition from gamer-to-racer, will partner him in the Nissan GT‑R NISMO GT3 for the majority of the season's seven race weekends.
The 2014 British GT Championship gets underway on Easter weekend (19-21 April) at Cheshire's Oulton Park circuit. Within the Championship rules, Chris will compete as a ‘bronze' driver - not a colour he is overly familiar with!
"This makes perfect sense to us," said Nissan's Director of Global Motorsport, Darren Cox. "The Le Mans 24 Hours is the Olympics of motorsport so who better to take on an epic challenge such as this."
ENDS
About Nissan in the UK
- Nissan Sunderland Plant produces the Nissan Qashqai, Note and Juke and the 100% electric Nissan LEAF
- Production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles began last year, 2012
- Total plant volume since 1986 stands at more than seven million units with 80 per cent of production exported to 97 markets worldwide
- Total investment made and announced since then is over £3.5 billion
- 510,572 units were produced at Sunderland plant in 2012, a plant record
- Sunderland Plant currently employs more than 6,100 people
- Nissan's European Design Centre is located in Paddington, London and employs around 65 people
- Nissan's European Technical Centre is based in Cranfield, Bedfordshire and employs around 1,000 people
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 14,500 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 695,000 vehicles including mini-MPVs, award-winning crossovers, SUVs and commercial vehicles. Nissan now offers 24 diverse and innovative products for sale in Europe today, and is positioned to become the number one Asian brand in Europe.
About the British Olympic Association
The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its mission is to develop, promote and protect the Olympic Movement in our territory in accordance with the Olympic Charter. The BOA achieves this through:
- Working in partnership with our members and key stakeholders to deliver world-leading services and support to enable British athletes to reach their full potential at the Olympic Games, Olympic Winter Games and other IOC-sanctioned events
- Working in partnership with our members and key stakeholders to provide athletes with relevant support on the journey to, during and following their Olympic careers
- Engaging people throughout the United Kingdom to pursue their very own goals and dreams through the Olympic Values and the example of Team GB Olympians
- Being the independent voice of Olympic Sport and collaborating with our members and other sport stakeholders, both domestically and internationally, to support the continued growth and overall health of the Olympic Movement in the UK
The BOA would like to thank our Official Partners, adidas, BP, DHL, Nissan, Jet Set Sports and Oliver Brown for their support
For further information visit TeamGB.com or follow the conversation on Twitter @TeamGB and Facebook.com/TeamGB.
About The British Paralympic Association
The British Paralympic Association is the National Paralympic Committee for the UK, responsible for the promotion of the Paralympic movement in Great Britain and selecting, entering and funding the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic team.
ParalympicsGB is the name for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic Team that competes at the summer and winter Paralympic Games. The Team is selected and managed by the British Paralympic Association, in conjunction with the national governing bodies, and is made up of the best sportsmen and women who compete in the 22 summer and four winter sports on the Paralympic Programme.
There is only one Paralympic team from Great Britain and Northern Ireland; ParalympicsGB. There is not a Paralympic swimming team or Paralympic tennis team. The individual sports join to become ParalympicsGB, the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic Team.
We are proud of our tradition of outstanding performance at the Paralympic Games: ParalympicsGB finished second in the medals table at three consecutive summer Paralympic Games and won 120 medals at London 2012.
The BPA would like to thank the National Lottery and our official partners adidas, BP, BT, Deloitte, EDF Energy, Hogan Lovells, Mondelēz International, Nissan and Sainsbury's for their support.
Facebook.com/ParalympicsGB