NISMO driver Mitsunori Takaboshi to join Formula E rookie test

Mitsunori Takaboshi, NISMO driver and winner of the 2017 Japan F3 championship, will take part in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship rookie test in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Nissan will become the first Japanese automaker to compete in the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E racing championship, starting in season five late this year. Nissan’s alliance partner Renault and its top team e.dams offered Nissan/NISMO one rookie test seat to help with preparations.

Takaboshi had a stunning season in Formula 3 last year, winning seven races and taking 11 fastest laps in the 20 races. His 2017 program also included a full season in the GT300 class in Super GT, aboard the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3.

The growing Formula E series gives Nissan a highly visible global platform from which to spread the message of Nissan Intelligent Mobility – the company;s three-pillar strategy to redefine how its vehicles are driven, powered and integrated into society.

“I would like to thank Nissan, NISMO and Renault e.dams for choosing me and giving me the chance to try the Formula E car,” said Takaboshi. “I;m really looking forward to participating in the rookie test and interested to see for myself what the combination of racing cars and electric energy can create. As a global series, I think the drivers and technology are of the highest caliber, and I hope to learn as much as I can about the various aspects of the competition.”

Takaboshi made his Formula 3 debut in 2013 in Japan, winning the “National” class championship in his first season. He first drove for Nissan in 2015, in GT300 in Super GT. He got his first taste of European racing in 2016, when he contested the Blancpain GT Series with Nissan – finishing on the podium at the Nürburgring.

He also made his GT500 class debut the same year, filling in for the injured Katsumasa Chiyo and finishing on the podium with veteran Satoshi Motoyama at Suzuka.

“We are grateful to Renault and e.dams for giving us this opportunity,” said Takao Katagiri, president and chief executive officer of NISMO. “This will be Takaboshi;s first time in a Formula E car, as well as his first time on track in this type of environment, so it will be a challenging test for him. I think this experience will definitely result in Takaboshi developing even further as a driver. We have high hopes that he will demonstrate his talents as a representative of the NISMO drivers and productively contribute to the preparations and data collection necessary for participation in the series.”

About NISMO
NISMO, a short form of “NISsan MOtorsports,” is the performance brand for Nissan and one of the company’s purveyors of “innovation that excites.” NISMO offers products featuring innovative technology and high performance to a wide range of customers for street use. NISMO cars provide an exciting driving experience with motorsports-inspired aerodynamics and styling, enhanced handling characteristics and unmatched agility. In the motorsports world, NISMO competes in the highest forms of GT and sports car racing, such as Japan;s Super GT Series as well as globally providing race cars and engines to customers.

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