RISING SPORTSCAR STAR TINCKNELL CHOSEN FOR NISSAN 'FACTORY' LM P1 SPORTSCAR TEAM
Britain's Harry Tincknell will contest the entire 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship with the Nissan NISMO LM P1 team.
The 23-year-old from Devon starts only his second year of sportscar racing having enjoyed a prolific maiden season in the category. He also becomes the youngest driver to compete in sportscar's highest category for almost 25 years since Michael Schumacher in 1991.
Tincknell, a multiple Formula Renault 2.0 UK plus Euro and British Formula Three Championship race winner, won the Le Mans 24 Hours LM P2 category last year and finished second in the European Le Mans Series for Nissan-powered JOTA Sport.
Harry was confirmed as part of the factory Nissan squad at the annual Le Mans 24 Hours Press Conference announcing entries for this year's race staged by the organising Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) in Paris today (5 Feb).
Tincknell enjoyed a fantastic debut season in sportscar racing in 2014. An amazing fifth overall in his maiden Le Mans 24 Hours plus personally scoring three pole-positions plus three 'podiums' including one win in ELMS set him apart from the rest confirmed by him being named the ELMS 'Rookie of the Year'.
The Nissan GT-R LM NISMO was publicly unveiled to an estimated worldwide television audience in excess of 110million in a commercial break during the Super Bowl XLIX last Sunday (1 Feb).
In a bold move, the Japanese manufacturer has interpreted the sport's technical regulations in an innovative way, producing a front-engined, front wheel drive car that is powered by a V6 3-litre twin turbo petrol engine and a kinetic energy recovery system.
Tincknell, who is expected to test the Nissan for the first time in the coming weeks, will race the Nissan for the first time in the opening WEC race at Silverstone on Sunday 12 April.
Tincknell contests the LM P1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the highest category in world sports car racing. After Silverstone, the series travels around the world to Spa in Belgium, onto the Le Mans 24 Hours and Germany's Nürburgring, before going global with races in the US, Japan, China and the Middle East.
2015 FIA World Endurance Championship
Rd1 Apr 10-12 Silverstone, GB
Rd2 Apr 30-May 2 Spa, Belgium
Rd3 Jun 13-14 Le Mans, France
Rd4 Aug 28-30 Nürburgring, Germany
Rd5 Sep 17-19 Circuit Of The Americas, USA
Rd6 Oct 9-11 Fuji, Japan
Rd7 Oct30-Nov 1 Shanghai, China
Rd8 Nov 19-21 Bahrain
* The Nissan 'Super Bowl' advertisement can be viewed at http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd1qCi5nSKw and Nissan's LM P1 launch film can be viewed here.
Harry Tincknell (GB). Age: 23. Born: Exeter, Devon, England. Lives: Sidmouth, Devon, England:
"To be offered my first 'factory' contract in motor racing with a manufacturer as big as Nissan, is something I have dreamt about since I began karting 13 years ago.
"Nissan Motorsport [NISMO] has 30 years of incredible history while the Nissan Motor Company was founded in 1933 so both have a lot of amazing history. It's awesome to be a part of their 'family' and I'm hoping it will be a long and successful association.
"Entering the LM P1 category is a big step and especially with its bold innovative design but that's how Nissan goes about its business.
"With us [Nissan] joining the other three LM P1 manufacturers, I believe another golden era of exciting sportscar racing is about to dawn and interest can only grow.
"I'm very excited to be graduating in to the LM P1 category after just one year in sportscars having raced a Nissan engined LM P2 car in 2014. Moving from Formula Three single-seaters to sportcars was a big step and now graduating up in to LM P1 will be another giant leap for me with a lot to learn.
"2014 was an incredible year for me. Winning the LM P2 category and finishing fifth overall on my Le Mans debut not many other drivers, if any, have achieved that. Personally achieving a 100% record by claiming three 'poles' in my maiden European Le Mans Series season in which I was awarded 'Rookie of the Year'. I couldn't have dreamt of making such an impact.
"I learned a massive amount about sportscar racing last year and Nissan has put its faith in me. I'm confident that I'll quickly adapt to LM P1 and Nissan's latest hybrid technology and there is no question of letting them or myself down.
"I'm really happy the deal has now been announced. I can now get on with testing prior to competing in my 'home' race at Silverstone in April.
"Obviously racing against drivers like Mark Webber and Anthony Davidson, who I watched on TV in Formula One when I was younger, and current F1 driver Nico Hülkenberg, in my first full year in the WEC is simply incredible."
