Nissan has again opened the doors on its Nissan PlayStation GT Academy as it searches for the best virtual drivers to become actual racing car drivers.

GO FROM THE COUCH TO THE COCKPIT that’s what 10 years of the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy has enabled, according to Nissan which is, again, looking for the next generation of fast PlayStation drivers to compete in an official FIA championship.

“The top Nissan drivers in the FIA-certified Gran Turismo Manufacturers Series Championship – conducted on the new Gran Turismo Sport PlayStation game – will win a trip to the NISMO Festival at the Fuji International Speedway in Japan and to the Tokyo headquarters of Polyphony Digital, the developers behind the game,” Nissan announced today.

“We proved with the Nissan GT Academy that some of the fastest drivers in the world might never have had the opportunity to compete on a race track if it weren’t for gaming,” said Nissan’s global motorsport director, Michael Carcamo.

“These guys have gone from the couch to the cockpit and broken the traditional model of how to become a successful racing driver.

“The level of competition is incredibly fierce. We’re now seeing that online racing is not only an alternative to the real thing.

“To be recognised as an official FIA Manufacturers Series Champion through GT Sport is an incredible opportunity, and we’re looking forward to having some of the best gamers in the world represent Nissan.”