What's the news?

British cycling superstar, Sir Chris Hoy, has announced his intention to race at Le Mans with Nissan in 2016, following a stint at the wheel of a GT-R GT3 in this year's British GT Championship.

Hoy was already a Nissan brand ambassador thanks to Nissan's partnerships with the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association so he's going to be fast-tracked through Nissan's own Driver Development Programme - the same system that has made a sports car star out of one-time PlayStation racer Lucas Ordonez.

Hoy will drive a fearsome GT3-spec Nissan GT-R Nismo in the GT Championship alongside established racer Alex Buncombe. Both will drive for the Nissan GT Academy Team RJN for the seven events that make up the series.

Hoy explained: "Nissan is already a huge contributor to the British economy with its investment in manufacturing, technology and design - now it is also investing in British sporting success via the Team GB and ParalympicsGB programmes. It's fantastic for me to be working with Nissan GB on this.

"When we sat down to discuss the relationship, we talked about how we could make things a two-way street. When I learned what had been achieved through Nissan's Driver Development Programme I was keen to take my enthusiasm for motorsport to the next level. This won't be easy - but I could not turn down the chance to give it a go. My ultimate ambition is to race at Le Mans. That is the dream, but I'm taking this one step at a time."

Nissan GB Marketing Director, Guillaume Masurel said: "At Nissan, we always do things differently. As Britain's biggest vehicle manufacturer, we are proud to commit our support for both the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association on the road to success in Rio 2016. Through our #uniteandexcite campaign we will be giving fans exclusive access to our team of athletes and showcasing their stories and preparation as we count down to Rio 2016.

"Now we can offer another new story, which is a further demonstration of Nissan's innovative thinking. We will be supporting the new talent and new technology through our partnership with BOA and BPA but in this case the new talent happens to be Britain's most successful Olympian. Sir Chris has already shown that he is a very capable driver and by combining our expertise in driver development, a great car and an experienced team with his natural ability, drive and determination, this will be a fascinating journey."

Anything else?

The British GT Championship kicks off over the Easter Weekend at the famed Oulton Park track in Cheshire in England. Ironically, Hoy will be officially entered as a 'Bronze Driver.' Wonder who gets to break that news to him?

Neil Briscoe - 9 Apr 2014