Nissan today announced that it will delay its return to the LM P1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship and instead focus on technical issues that challenged its race team during the Le Mans 24 Hours. Issues with the energy recovery system (ERS) meant that Nissan had to run at the Le Mans 24 Hours on engine power alone. The bespoke Nissan V6 3-liter twin turbo gasoline engine and the unique aerodynamics of the GT-R LM NISMO proved to be the main strengths of the car at Le Mans, but without a fully working ERS, many of the car’s other systems were compromised.
This news only affects Nissan’s LM P1 program. The manufacturer’s global motorsport programs continue unabated as Nissan strives to add to its tally of victories in the Blancpain Endurance Series, Super GT and the many other championships in which it competes. Nissan’s pioneering GT Academy program is now entering the “Race Camp” phase where the first of the 2015 graduates will be chosen before going on to compete as NISMO Athletes all over the world.
Nissan will continue the test program for the GT-R LM NISMO, predominantly but not exclusively in the United States. Media updates will be issued as the car’s development continues. A decision on the date for Nissan’s return to the World Endurance Championship will be made in due course, depending on the progress of the test program.
This isn’t a particularly large surprise given Nissan’s dismal performance during Le Mans, and it doesn’t help that the engineers and marketing team behind the car were such heavy promoters before the race. Naturally there are those who will support Nissan regardless of their failures, but if Nissan is to recover from this they need the GT-R LM NISMO to be at least as impressive as the Delta Wing program that they funded in the years before.
