2014 Nissan GT Academy Europe Champion Gaetan Paletou is the latest man confirmed as not having his Nissan factory contract renewed for 2016 as the Japanese manufacturer works to restructure its motorsport operations.

Paletou’s inaugural season in motorsport saw him claim a class podium and fifth overall at the 2015 Dubai 24 Hours and second place in the inaugural ELMS LMP3 Championship (with a race win at Estoril) for Team LNT and with good speed in the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3, too.

He was set too to make his Le Mans debut in 2015, but the early retirement of the Greaves Motorsport Gibson-Nissan meant that the young Frenchman didn’t get to race. (astonishingly, it would have been his first-ever race in his home country!)

Paletou did not wish to comment on the Nissan decision today, but is understood now to be pursuing other avenues to find a drive for 2016.