Established GT racer Alex Buncombe, and ex-Marussia driver Max Chilton, have been announced as two of Nissan's LMP1 drivers for the 2015 endurance circus. Chilton will race a full season in FIA WEC, and Buncombe will race at Le Mans.
Chilton is known for his two seasons in Formula One where he drove for Marussia, a notable feature of his career was that he finished all 19 races of his rookie season. Consistency and a safe pair of hands is what is needed in endurance racing, making Chilton fit for the job.
The British driver is excited to make his track debut. “Le Mans has always had an amazing following and to be racing there as a works driver is a dream come true," said Chilton. "My aim has always been to race at the highest level and the technology that has gone into the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO is as impressive as a Formula 1 car. Having met with the team and seen first-hand the dedication and desire to win that exists within this project I can't wait to get on track.”
It was also announced that Alex Buncombe will complete Nissan's driver line up for their third car that they will race in Le Mans. He drove for the full season in the Blancpain Endurance Series in the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 in 2014, which saw him take the Pro-AM win at Silverstone. He was also a regular team mate to Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy during the British GT Championship.
Chilton joins Marc Gene, Michael Krumm, Jann Mardenborough, Olivier Pla and Harry Tincknell for the season-opening race at Silverstone on 12 April. The driver line-ups for the #22 and #23 Nissans will be announced at a later date.
Buncombe will join the team for the Le Mans 24 Hours where he will race in the #21 Nissan GT-R LM NISMO with Tsugio Matsuda and Lucas Ordonez.
The first round of the World Endurance Series starts in Silverstone on the 10th April, with the 6 hour race on Sunday 12th.
Last edited by a moderator: