This one’s for real !

Photo : - Nissan - Gran-turismo - GT Academy

Jordan Tresson played the famous Gran Turismo 5 video game and came on the race track for real, competing in the GT4 European Championship. The winner of the GT Academy discovered the 13-kilometre Le Mans circuit at the Le Mans Classic. Also a student in car engineering, Tresson is a promising driver.

How is your new life as a driver?
Jordan Tresson: It’s always been my dream, I would spend my lifetime in a car if I could! The early part of the season looks good, but I have many things to learn from my co-driver Alex Buncombe.

Why did you come to the Le Mans Classic?
Nissan asked me if I wanted to go there for GT4 baptisms. You guess it was not so hard to convince me!

What was your feeling about the Le Mans circuit?
I was very careful at the beginning. A real race track is different from the video game version, even if you know it by heart. Everything looks different and the corners look tighter. I had to be very careful, since the set-up was not optimal and I had passengers!

Did you drive at night?
Yes, on Saturday evening at 10.30 PM, it was pitch black out there. It’s strange at the beginning, but habits come back rapidly and it becomes natural, even if I did not have much experience of the circuit.

Do you plan to come back for the real 24 Hours some time in June?
It’s my dream to compete in the real 24 Hours! At the Le Mans Classic, Michael Krumm was with me and the Nissan GT-R GT1. It must be fantastic to drive there with such a car. For the moment, I am focusing on the current season, and I will try to get sponsors for next year. My status as a GT Academy factory driver will terminate at the end of the season, and I want to do my best for my dream not to stop at this moment.

Julien Hergault