Alex Buncombe

Once described as ‘Nissan’s secret weapon’, Alex Buncombe has played a vital role in the success of Nissan’s GT Academy programme. ‘Al’ has been the professional team-mate to each of the graduates. Most recently he has mentored Sir Chris Hoy in the British GT Championship.

After Alex drove alongside Lucas Ordonez in the 2009 Dubai 24 Hours, the pair went on to race a full season in the European GT4 Cup in a Nissan 350Z, finishing a close second in the championship but securing the team’s title with a win and three second places. He went one better in 2011 when he and Jordan Tresson took the Nissan 370Z to the GT4 title in the 2011 Blancpain Endurance Series.

In 2012, Alex teamed up with 2011 GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough to drive the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 in the Blancpain Endurance Series and British GT Championship. When British GT travelled to the renowned Nürburgring GP track, Alex and Jann claimed a podium finish. They then went on to win the Brands Hatch round just two-hundredths of a second ahead of the No.007 Aston Martin Vantage GT3. The pair recorded a further podium at Snetterton, as they came very close to winning the British GT Championship.

During the last two seasons Al has continued to race the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3, taking another Blancpain Championship win in 2013 and narrowly missing out on a GT300 Super GT win when he made his Japanese debut in the Fuji Sprint Cup.

He took another Blancpain win at Silverstone in 2014 but it was his performances at Monza and the Nurburgring that drew the most attention. After a technical issue in qualifying at Monza he had to start from the back but managed to get from 32nd to 17th position on the opening lap! He then proved this wasn’t a one-off by going from 13th to first place during his opening stint at the Nurburgring 1000kms later that year.

2014

• Full season in Blancpain Endurance Series in the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3. Took the pro-am win at Silverstone with Florian Strauss and Nick McMillen.
• Regular team-mate to Sir Chris Hoy in the British GT Championship
• Nurburgring 24 Hours with Florian Strauss and Nick Heidfeld. Finished 11th in class after a bump in the night for Heidfeld.
• Competed in the Bathurst 12 Hours, alongside Wolfgang Reip, Rick Kelly and Katsumasa Chiyo.

2013

• Racing the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 in the Blancpain Endurance and FIA GT Series. A winner in the Pro-Am class at the Blancpain race at Silverstone, Alex helped with his fellow NISMO Athletes win the Pro-Am team’s championship.
• Competed in the Dubai 24 Hours alongside Sabine Schmitz, Peter Pyzera and Steve Doherty, taking ninth in class in a Nissan 370Z NISMO GT4.
• Raced a Super GT GT300 Nissan in the Fuji Sprint Cup, narrowly missing out on victory.

2012

• British GT Championship – pole position and podium finish at Nürburgring. Win at Brands Hatch, podium finish at Snetterton
• Blancpain Endurance Championship part-season
• Petit Le Mans, Atlanta – fifth in LMP2 class in Nissan=powered Greaves Motorsport car, alongside Alex Brundle and Tom Kimber-Smith

2011

• Blancpain Endurance Series GT4 Champion, including class win at Spa 24 Hours
• Nurburgring 24 Hours in RJN Nissan 370Z GT4 car finishing 6th in Class

2010

• Raced in the GT4 European Cup with RJN Motorsport
• Competed in Spa 24 Hours, Silverstone 24 Hours and Nurburgring 24 Hours

2009

• Competed in the Dubai 24 Hours, alongside Johnny Herbert, Rob Barff and Lucas Ordonez. Finished 9th in class.
• Raced in the GT4 European Cup with RJN Motorsport. Finished 2nd in Driver’s Championship and first in Team’s Championship.
• Also competed in Nurburgring 24 Hours and selected VLN races

2008

• Competed in Nurburgring 24 Hours and Dubai 24 Hours with RJN Motorsport Nissan 350Z
• Raced in GT4 European Championship – 2nd in Driver’s Championship

2007

• Raced in four FIA GT4 races, taking two wins and two second places
• Silverstone 24 Hours
• FIA GT3 race at Silverstone in a Porsche 997 GT3 – 7th overall – Highest placed Porsche – Winner of Porsche GT3 Cup