Olivier Bédard presented with award by Auto Sport Quebec

Montréal, Québec – Last night, Olivier Bédard, the 18-year-old Québec driver and 2015 Nissan Micra Cup champion, was awarded the Gilles-Villeneuve Trophy. This prestigious award was presented to Bédard by Auto Sport Québec (the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile’s representatives in the region of Quebec) at the annual banquet at the Musée Gilles-Villeneuve, held yesterday in Montréal.

Victorious at five of the 12 races that comprised the inaugural season of the Nissan Micra Cup, Bédard left a lasting impression on the Canadian motorsport community through his exceptional performance on the track.

“After winning the 2015 Nissan Micra Cup championship, receiving an award as prestigious as the Gilles-Villeneuve Trophy is incredible. Gilles Villeneuve was my favourite driver and inspired me to start racing in the first place. I’ve read everything there is to know about him, so receiving this award is truly an honour,” said Bédard. “I am delighted to have participated in the inaugural season of this new, one-make series because the Micras are almost stock and all equal, therefore it’s really the driver that makes the difference. It was the ideal series for me, allowing me the opportunity to demonstrate what I can do up against other extremely talented drivers with different racing backgrounds.”

“Auto Sport Québec is thrilled to present the Gilles-Villeneuve Trophy to Olivier Bédard for his success in the 2015 Nissan Micra Cup, the new but highly competitive series that has become a revealing stage for driving talent on race tracks in Québec. Bédard, the 2015 Nissan Micra Cup champion, is a driver with a promising future,” said Érick Baker, ASQ president.

For Nissan Canada, having the Nissan Micra Cup champion win this prestigious award is a huge honour. “Nissan Canada congratulates Olivier Bédard as the winner of the 2015 Gilles-Villeneuve Trophy,” said Christian Meunier, president of Nissan Canada Inc. “We are so proud that the trophy, named after the most celebrated Canadian driver of all time, is awarded to the very first Nissan Micra Cup champion. In one season, the Nissan Micra Cup not only won over the public and the competitors, but also became known as a proving ground for driver talent.”

Created in 1982, the Gilles-Villeneuve Trophy symbolizes the competitiveness and excellence of a Québec race car driver on the track, all year long. Gilles Villeneuve, born in Chambly in 1950 and deceased on May 8th, 1982, propelled interest for motorsport in Canada. His charisma and aggressive nature on the track made him a legend all around the world, and not only to Formula 1 fans.

Each year, a committee of experts (drivers, journalists, celebrities) select the winner of the Gilles-Villeneuve Trophy. The 2015 winner, Olivier Bédard, follows in the footsteps of other drivers who have marked the history of Canadian motorsport, including Patrick Carpentier (1994), Alexandre Tagliani (1996), Andrew Ranger (2002) and many others.

The Nissan Micra Cup will return to the track next year. Officials are currently finalizing the calendar of events, which will be announced later this year.

For more information on the Nissan Micra Cup, please go to the website www.nissan.ca/micracup.

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan Motor Co.

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

About Nissan Canada Inc.

Nissan Canada Inc. (NCI) is the Canadian sales, marketing and distribution subsidiary of Nissan Motor Limited and Nissan North America, Inc. NCI directly employs 306 full-time staff across offices in Vancouver (BC), Mississauga (ON), and Kirkland (QC). There are 190 independent Nissan dealerships, 38 Infiniti retailers and 45 Nissan Commercial Vehicle dealers across Canada. A pioneer in zero emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year and World Car of the Year awards.

More information about Nissan in Canada and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.nissan.ca and www.infiniti.ca.