MONTE CARLO, Monaco – Nissan's team in the FIA certified GT Sport Manufacturer's Cup had a heartbreaking finish at the Monaco World Finals.
The Nissan team was the red-hot favorite going into the eracing World final, as the three Nissan drivers were the regional Champions of the FIA GT Sport Nations Cup competition. Brazilian Igor Fraga won the Americas region, Ryota Kokubun won in Asia, and Mikail Hizal took the Europe/Middle East/Africa region.
The three combined for a seven-lap endurance race driving the Sony PlayStation version of the Nissan GT-R GT3 around the Nordschleife. Inaugural Nissan GT Academy winner Lucas Ordóñez was on-site in Monaco as an expert commentator on the event live stream.
"Nissan had the best lineup with the regional champions from the three regions, but the guys made a tactical error in qualifying by not pitting for new tires and they started seventh," said Ordóñez. "The three guys did really well in the race and were fighting for second place at the finish but ran out of fuel about 500 meters from the finish line. It was such a shame because they had great pace in the race. I'm sure Nissan will be very strong again in next year's championship."
While team Nissan did not take home a trophy, the individual drivers starred in the Nation's Cup competition on Sunday with Fraga taking the overall championship ahead of Hizal.
Fraga and Hizal – as well as Asian region Nissan runner-up Yuta Oishi and Nissan GT Sport Cup European final winner Patrick Blazsan – are all headed to the 2018 NISMO Festival in two weeks as guests of Nissan to reward them for their efforts in the inaugural World GT Sport Championships.
The four gamers will be on-site to see Nissan's Formula E car make its Japanese debut on home soil and will also visit the home of Polyphony Digital, the creator's of the PlayStation Gran Turismo game.
🎮 @Nissan's team in the @FIA certified #GTSport Manufacturer’s Cup had a heartbreaking finish at the Monaco World Finals.
— Nissan NISMO (@NISMO) November 20, 2018
➡️ Read more at: https://t.co/AYwm6xOGDJ pic.twitter.com/92txgE0KBE
Is this it? @1gorFraga moves into the lead of the race and with it the provisional lead of the #FIAGTC! 🇧🇷
— Gran Turismo (@thegranturismo) November 18, 2018
LAST LAP: https://t.co/7bzLSQ02LD #GTSport pic.twitter.com/gLEy218xJY
Drama for TEAM @Nissan at #FIA @thegranturismo #Manufacturers #WorldFINAL
— Lucas Ordonez (@Lucas_Ordonez) November 18, 2018
Last lap at the #Nurburgring 24h track
5 cars into Dottiner Hohe Straight
Nissan in P3 and run out of fuel into the downhill...😱 with 300m left! @1gorFraga @HizalMikail #Kokubun 💪 pic.twitter.com/am49kHENjQ
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NISMO Calendar
November 24-25
Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, Newcastle, Australia
December 1-2
FIA GT Nations Cup, Sakhir, Bahrain
December 2
NISMO Festival, Fuji International Speedway, Japan
Contact
Anna Teslik
Global Motorsport Marketing and Communications Manager
Phone: +33 7 7614 7286
ATeslik@nissan-europe.com
Paul Ryan
Global Motorsport Marketing and Communications Manager
Phone: +1 678 644 0404
paul@nismosupport.com
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