Nissan Searching for a New Racing Driver

Nissan and PlayStation will discover a new professional racing driver from the virtual world of Gran Turismo 6. The GT Academy, which has revolutionised the way drivers are found, is gearing up once again to give PlayStation gamers the chance to turn their dream of becoming a Nismo athlete into reality. With the programme launched in Turkey in 2015, the aim is to attract a new generation of racers.

Since the first GT Academy competition in 2008, millions of gamers have battled for the grand prize of becoming a professional racing driver. Previous GT Academy champions Lucas Ordoñez and Jann Mardenborough, now enjoying careers as professional racing drivers, will represent Nissan in the LM P1 class at the Le Mans 24 Hours this June, one of the pinnacles of motorsport. Such a great achievement shows that GT Academy is a genuine opportunity for developing real racing drivers.

The GT Academy qualifying rounds will start online on 21 April on Gran Turismo 6 on the Sony PlayStation 3 and run until 16 June. Gamers dreaming of becoming a professional racer will compete to set the fastest lap time on Gran Turismo 6 on the Sony PlayStation 3. The competition, in which 20 racers will take part in the national selection, will be split into online and live events. The 10 drivers with the best lap times at the live events and the 10 with the best lap times in the online races will face each other at the Turkish final in June. The six best-placed competitors in the final will get the chance to attend the famous Silverstone Race Camp. Those who attend the Silverstone Race Camp could win a career that will change their lives. There they will battle fiercely against finalists from around the world for the chance to race in the Dubai 24 Hours.

At the GT Academy Turkey launch event held in Istanbul, former GT Academy champions Wolfgang Reip and Ahmed Khalid shared their experiences with members of the press.