New Nissan CEO Reaffirms Brand’s Commitment to GT500

The newly-installed CEO of Nissan has reaffirmed the brand’s commitment to competing in SUPER GT’s top GT500 class amid a period of turmoil for the company.

Ivan Espinosa said that the Yokohama-based firm has “no intention” of ending its long-running presence in Japan’s top sports car racing series, which forms one of two key pillars of its overall motorsport strategy alongside Formula E.

Mexican-born Espinosa took over as Nissan CEO in April, replacing Makoto Uchida, having been part of the company for more than two decades.

The 46-year-old assumed the role following failed merger talks with fellow Japanese auto giant Honda, and last month the company unveiled an aggressive cost-cutting strategy known as ‘Re:Nissan’ that will involve the loss of 20,000 jobs and the closure of seven of the company’s 17 plants between now and 2027.

Against that backdrop, Espinosa has said that Nissan’s commitment to motorsport remains unaffected, and was keen to highlight in particular the importance of the long-running NISMO GT500 program with regards to instilling brand loyalty.

“There is a big tradition in SUPER GT and it’s rooted very deeply in what Nissan does,” Espinosa told Sportscar365. “Some of our cars, the history and heritage they have, the loyalty of the fanbase is huge, and this is why we continue competing in SUPER GT.

“The loyalty of the fans is the greatest we have, and these people we have are the ones that speak greatly about our brand. For us, this is so important.

“On top of that, there are a lot of things we can learn for our future sports cars, from an aerodynamic standpoint, from chassis tuning, about the power train, and this is the other reason we are dedicating ourselves in SUPER GT.

“There is no intention [to leave]. Motorsport runs deep in Nissan’s DNA, since the very origins of the company. This is what describes Nissan, and some of the key values of our company: determination, will to fight, competitiveness. We are there to win.”

SUPER GT is facing a crossroads as talks continue between Nissan, Honda and Toyota to define the next-generation GT500 regulations, which Masaaki Bandoh recently suggested are now unlikely to be implemented before 2030.

Asked what direction he would like to see the new rules take, Espinosa said he had “no strong views” on the matter apart from keeping costs under control.

“As long as it remains competitive and enjoyable for the audience, this is the best choice we can make,” he said. “At the same time we need to keep it reasonably manageable in terms of cost, so this is something we need to consider.”

Espinosa added that he is in favor of further expanding SUPER GT’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region, as the series prepares to race outside of Japan for the first time since 2019 later this month with a return to Malaysia’s Sepang venue.

“As a manufacturer, the more exposure we get the better, and the more fans we can reach, the better,” he said. “But we need to keep the balance of the costs in check.

“Some expansion might be interesting, trying to go beyond Japan, but staying in Asia.”

Takao Katagiri, the President and CEO of NMC, the parent company of NISMO, said that Nissan would support multiple overseas races assuming it was financially viable.

“Before COVID there was an idea of having two events outside of Japan [at Sepang and Buriram],” he told Sportscar365. “Of course we need to take into consideration the cost as well, but as long as there is the support, and it’s financially feasible, we have to.”