Nissan Explains Background to Cutting No. 3 Car

Nissan has shed light on its decision to cut its No. 3 NISMO NDDP entry for the upcoming SUPER GT season, while stressing the need for stronger co-operation between its teams with its GT500 fleet reduced to three cars.

Last month, Nissan confirmed that it would be downsizing its GT500 effort from four to three cars amid its well-publicized financial difficulties, with the factory NISMO team fielding only a single entry, the No. 23, after four seasons of running two cars.

Team Impul and Kondo Racing will continue to run a single Z NISMO each as previously.

Toshikazu Tanaka, corporate vice-president of Nissan’s NMC division that oversees the brand’s SUPER GT’s activities, told Sportscar365 that reasons of longevity made the No. 3 car the natural choice to drop given its relatively short history.

He also outlined an ambition to strengthen co-operation between the remaining three cars to mitigate the disadvantage of losing the second NISMO entry.

“Regarding the fact we were forced to cut down from four to three cars, it was a choice we made in consideration of our current [financial] environment,” Tanaka said.

“Within the Nissan camp, the three cars from NISMO, Impul and Kondo Racing have competed continuously for a long time, so considering the fact we were forced to cut down by one car, we chose to cut one of the two cars being operated by NISMO.”

He added: “One of the reasons NISMO adopted a two-car system in the first place was to be able to share more data. Going down one car means we lose that particular advantage. 

“It means we have to work together more closely between teams than ever before in order to try and recover, even if only a little, what we have lost by dropping the No. 3 car.”

Tanaka expressed a wish for Nissan to return to operating a four-car stable in GT500 in the future as soon as circumstances allow.

“A lot depends on how the [financial] environment evolves, but of course having more cars is an advantage when it comes to fighting for the championship, so naturally we would like to increase the number of cars again when conditions allow,” he said.

Kondo Racing goes into the new season with a refreshed driver lineup as Atsushi Miyake moves across from the No. 3 NISMO car to replace Tsugio Matsuda, who elected to retire from SUPER GT at the end of last season, alongside Teppei Natori.

Daiki Sasaki, Miyake’s co-driver last year, meanwhile has been left without a GT500 seat.

Tanaka explained that 26-year-old Miyake was deemed the better long-term choice of the two former co-drivers, particularly in view of the desire for the No. 24 Kondo car to become the de facto Nissan development car in the absence of the No. 3 machine.

“Performance was of course considered, but the biggest factor was having two young drivers who are similar in age,” said Tanaka. “Nissan hasn’t been actively involved in driver development lately, so we have a shortage of young drivers.

“The No. 3 car was originally an NDDP car, so this was an element we discussed with [team director Masahiko] Kondo-san when we decided to have two young drivers. We decided that Kondo should take on some of this responsibility.”

Tanaka would not be drawn when asked whether the No. 24 car could switch to Bridgestone tires, as has been heavily rumored, in light of its driver lineup decision.

Sasaki’s future with Nissan remains unclear, but Tanaka did not rule out the possibility of the 34-year-old being retained by the brand in some capacity.

“We’re still in the middle of discussions [with Sasaki], so I can’t say anything concrete at the moment, but we are discussing a range of options,” said Tanaka.

Matsuda, meanwhile, will become team director for the No. 23 NISMO car that will be driven by Katsumasa Chiyo and Mitsunori Takaboshi for the upcoming campaign.

Tanaka revealed that Takeshi Nakajima, who previously served as team director, will remain on board as the entry representative to oversee the No. 23 team together with Matsuda.

“For the first time we will have a NISMO team director who does not have an engineering background,” said Tanaka. “It’s a big change, but we felt we had to evolve things. 

“That’s why we will have Nakajima-san, who has an engineering background, as the entry representative and acting as a general supervisor, and Matsuda-san working together to try and raise the overall level of the team.”