Le Mans – Lucas Ordoñez, Nissan ZEOD RC test driver

Lucas Ordoñez's trajectory is simply incredible. A console player in 2008, he won the GT Academy (competition organized by Playstation) that year. This success allowed him to complete a season in motorsport. Since then, the Spaniard has earned his stripes as an official Nissan driver, and can boast of having tested an incredible number of cars... The Spaniard's talent is beyond doubt. It has also become one of the indisputable references in the LM P2 category in Endurance.

And it’s an understatement to say that Nissan trusts him. Indeed, the Japanese firm has just enlisted him as the first development pilot of the ZEOD RC. As a reminder, this car, which will be able to operate temporarily using only an electric motor, will occupy the 56th stand at the 24 2014 Hours of Le Mans.. A stand reserved for a car equipped with so-called avant-garde technology.

" It's incredible, exclaimed the 28-year-old Madrilenian. After working with Ben Bowlby and the guys who developed the DeltaWing at Petit Le Mans, this news delights me. Working with this group again and being part of this Le Mans project is just fantastic. And really, starting this project from its beginnings is, for me, a dream come true. I’m really looking forward to working with the team to develop the all-new technology that the ZEOD RC will feature, as well as developing the car on the track. It’s a unique experience. I love learning from the engineers, the teams and learning from these new products like this, especially because we're going to be doing a lot of testing. This is what I need as a racing driver. I am quite proud of my performances, but now it is time for me to take the next step in my career, and to develop the ZEOD RC. »

Darren Cox, director of Nissan's Global Motorsports branch, is very proud to have taken the Spaniard with him in this new adventure whose stated goal is a return to LM P1 in 2015. “Lucas did not come to motorsport through the traditional route, namely the karting and promotional formulas, underlines the Briton. And that means he has the perfect profile for the role we assign to him in the development of the Nissan ZEOD RC. Lucas was the first to prove that the GT Academy concept worked. The Nissan ZEOD RC is unlike any car previously developed and Lucas doesn't have 10 or 15 years of preconceived ideas about what a race car should or shouldn't be. »

The design of the first ZEOD RC chassis was recently completed, and construction of the unique car is underway. The first run, which will be in 100% electric mode, is planned for next month. Nissan will try various types of transmissions before definitively making its choice.