zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Max Chilton Will Bring Daddy's Money To Nissan's Insane Le Mans Racer
Max Chilton Will Bring Daddy's Money To Nissan's Insane Le Mans Racer-August 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:44

Max Chilton will join the illustrious ranks of ex-Formula One drivers who've said, "screw you guys, I'm racing Le Mans." Per , Chilton just scored a full-time drive in the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO LMP1-class World Endurance Championship racer along with Alex Buncombe.

Max Chilton is most famous for being Marussia's driver for 2013 and 2014, or for perhaps being the brother of touring car ace . Either way, the Chiltons typically bring a boatload of money Grahame Chilton.

With such an for the car itself, finding a good driver who probably brings a bit of funding is a nice little pick-up for Nissan.

We've finally seen it in Nissan's Super Bowl ad, and now Nissan finally released detailed shots of…

Chilton's previous record wasn't as bad as his "pay driver" label would have you think, complete with a 4th place finish in GP2 back in 2012. He's not exactly the of our day. Are there better F1 rejects out there? Sure.

That being said, I do wonder what Chilton can do in a good, competitive car. Chilton wasn't great in the backmarker Marussia, with teammate Jules Bianchi (not Chilton) scoring the team's only points. The Team Formerly Known As Marussia has moved on without Chilton, naming as their first driver. Still, you can't ignore those couple GP2 wins from a series where young racers are beyond thirsty for that sweet, sweet podium.

Everyone's hoping this Nissan will be a good, competitive car at the moment. Its front-wheel-drive-biased layout is just the kind of radical technical shake-up we've been longing for in the LMP1 class.

Chilton wasn't afraid to throw a little shade on F1 on the way out.

"My aim has always been to race at the highest level and the technology that has gone into the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO is as impressive as a Formula 1 car," he told . "I'm honored to have been asked to join a manufacturer as prestigious as Nissan in a championship that is growing year on year."

(You know, as opposed to a series that's .)

A letter to Bernie Ecclestone cosigned by smaller Formula One teams Force India, Sauber and Lotus…

Chilton will split his full-season LMP1 duties with a drive in the Carlin Indy Lights team, where father Grahame is chairman.

Nissan also announced some bad news for those of us hoping for a surprise LMP1 pick: longtime Nissan driver Alex Buncombe will take that final seat on the LMP1 squad.

If there's one moment you watch from this year's crazy Bathurst 12 Hour race, it's the very end. A…

Buncombe joins the Nissan LMP1 team on the Le Mans-only third car, sharing driver duties with Tsugio Matsuda and Lucas Ordonez.

"I was shocked when I got the call and I haven't been able to wipe the grin off my face ever since," Buncombe told .

Buncombe hasn't only driven GT3 and GT4 cars for Nissan, but he's driven their V8 Supercar as well. That's right: an ex-V8 Supercar driver in an LMP1. (He only drove four races over there, but it still counts!)

Furthermore, he makes sense given the GT Academy driver in the car. Buncombe has been working with GT Academy grads to help them develop their skills.

There could be a seat to fill in the near future, however: confirmed that Michael Krumm will only contest the first three races before concentrating on Super GT in Japan.

Welcome to the craziest party in motorsports, Buncombe and Chilton. Party hats are past that tree and to the right.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
Aug 15, 2025
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
Aug 15, 2025
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
Aug 15, 2025
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
Aug 15, 2025
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
Aug 15, 2025
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
Aug 15, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved