NISSAN LMP1...were they right?

[RobGT81]

Testing this week at COTA apparently.

[IanUAE]

And there goes Darren Cox........ Fallout of the LMP1 car failure?

http://www.crash.net/sportscars/news/224731/1/niss...

[Leithen]

Are we to presume that the project is to be canned too?

[Rude-boy]

To be honest the biggest surprise is that it has taken so long for them to let him go.

Not sure how many in his position would have survived beyond the Monday morning after Le Mans.

Right or wrong on their ideas i have to say i was willing the car to work, or at least be on a par with Toyota. I do hope that they can sort it and get the car back out, or that if they can that they at least go for a conventional car.

The one thing that I just can't understand is why they were so bullish. I would have thought that a more humble "Breaking new ground, not conforming to the mould, and so it will take us time to prove we are right" would have won more fans and less chance of negative reaction to negative results.

[sirtyro]

I wonder what will happen with Ben Bowlby now and if he will leave with him.

I feel sorry for him because he does seem to have genuine passion and has worked hard to get it all setup, but it hasn't worked and it doesn't look good

[Alex Langheck]

PW said:

I'd always kind of liked Darren Cox - Nissan seemed to be doing all the right things in terms of motorsport PR; - supporting WEC/Le Mans, lots of LMP2 involvement, GT3, V8 supercars, GT Academy, covering SuperGT & N24...

I thought he did a lot of good for motorsport; he seemed a genuine enthusiast. I can think of many car company motorsport bosses who weren't really that bothered about motorsport.

[RobGT81]

Perhaps they should have just built a race car from the start, not a PR lemon.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2015/12/22/nissan-de...

[RichUK]

RobGT81 said:

Perhaps they should have just built a race car from the start, not a PR lemon.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2015/12/22/nissan-de...

A real pity for all those involved, but sadly not unexpected.

[sirtyro]

Really sad news. I think having 4 manufactures in LMP1 is what WEC needs at the moment to keep the good momentum going.

I hope they come back in 2017, although by then the new rules will be in force.

[24lemons]

That's a real shame. I had hoped that they would be able to get on top of the issues they had this year.

It would be nice to think that they will look at coming back in 2017 with a fresh attempt rather than keeping the original car on life support through 2016. I wont hold my breath.

[Scuffers]

I also suspect that they have don't the numbers again and realised it's simply not going to be competitive.

[anonymous-user]

What a mess. How was it given the green light in the first place? Someone must've been able to show it had potential to win. But it reality it was so wide of the mark.

[DanielSan]

All the talk and taking the pussy way out because they've finally realised what everyone else knew from day one. Japanese companies are a complete shambles when it comes to motorsport at the moment. WEC is better off without them imo, they've bought nothing to the series bar a few billboards.

[Scuffers]

With respect, they hired the wrong people to run the project.

Nothing to do with them being Japanese or European.

[Scuffers]

gt academy is just another marketing project.

If it was about getting great drivers why not just go with the ones that are already out there just struggling for opportunities?

Putting chris hoy in a car makes the point, he's next to useless but he's being out in everything (as well as wiping out a car at goodwood), he might be about to ride a bike, but he can't drive for st.)

Edited by Scuffers on Wednesday 23 December 07:38

[Thundersports]

Ahem Chris Hoy.

[Scuffers]

Thundersports said:

Ahem Chris Hoy.

yea, well spotted.....

[Megaflow]

Unless I have missed it, does this mean they are pulling out of Le Mans as well, or just the other rounds of WEC?

The former is a slight surprise, the latter was almost a given wasn't it.

[Red Firecracker]

Total project cancellation and announced to the workers in possibly the most shameful way possible (an email and a bloke at the door changing the access code).

[37chevy]

Thundersports said:

Ahem Chris Hoy.

Umm Sir Chris Hoy actually! :-p


I don't have a problem with him driving with Nissan! There are plenty of other wealthy businessmen out there who keep the WEC alive.....probably about 90% of the field has one in their car, so why exclude Hoy?