Chanoch Nissany (Hebrew: חנוך ניסני; born 29 July 1963) is an Israeli-Hungarian real estate developer and auto racing driver.[1]

Chanoch Nissany
Nissany in 2022
NationalityIsrael Israeli
Born (1963-07-29) 29 July 1963 (age 61)
Tel Aviv, Israel
Related toRoy Nissany (son)
Previous series
International Formula 3000 (2004)
World Series Lights (2003)
FIA CEZ
Hungarian championships (2002–11, 2013–14)
Championship titles
2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2009FIA CEZ
Hungarian championships
Bernie Ecclestone meeting Nissany, the first Israeli F1 test driver, in the Minardi motorhome at the Hungaroring on 29 July 2005.
Press conference in Tel-Aviv to announce that Nissany had signed a test driver contract for the Minardi Formula One team for 2005.

Nissany is the first Israeli racing driver to compete in some of the higher levels of the international racing sports, such as International Formula 3000 and World Series Lights. He is also the first Israeli who participated at a Formula One Grand Prix weekend, on his birthday, 29 July 2005, in the first free practice session of the 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix, when he drove at the Hungaroring as one of the official test drivers of the Minardi F1 Team.[2] He was 6.8 seconds slower than teammate Christijan Albers in free practice at the event. After spinning the car, he was unable to take the steering wheel out of his Minardi so he was recovered with the car.

Nissany is the main investor in the Balaton Park Circuit, a motorsports venue opened in 2023.

His son, Roy Nissany, is also a racing driver.[3]

Career

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Nissany started racing in 2002, at the relatively late age of 38. He began his career in the 2002 Formula 2000 Hungarian National Championship, and was runner-up in his first season. In the following year, he won the same competition racing for Szasz Motorsport at the wheel of a Coloni CN-98.[4] From 2003, he started to compete at more international events such as FIA Central European Zone and World Series Lights.

 
Nissany and Eddie Jordan, after Nissany completed his first ever test with a Formula One car (Jordan Grand Prix) in Silverstone on 14 July 2004.

In 2004, he defended his title in the Formula 2000 Hungarian National Championship.[5] Furthermore, Nissany signed a contract with Coloni Motorsport for 2004 and he competed in Formula 3000. Since he has progressed at Coloni, Nissany completed four tests – two with Jordan Grand Prix[6] and two with Minardi.

On 2 February 2005, Paul Stoddart, the owner of the Minardi Formula One racing team made an announcement at the Hilton Hotel in Tel-Aviv. At this international press conference, Stoddart announced that Nissany had become the official test driver for the team for the 2005 season.[7]

On his 42nd birthday, Nissany drove in the first practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, although his fastest time was 12.9 seconds slower than the fastest driver in the field, McLaren test driver Alexander Wurz. His only Formula One session ended in a gravel trap after a spin. Despite this, he initially complained that the car had too much grip. Nissany reportedly forgot how to remove the steering wheel from his cockpit, and would remain seated in his beached car while marshals removed it with a crane.[8][9] At subsequent Grands Prix, he was replaced by Enrico Toccacelo.

In 2005, since Nissany focused on his international obligations with Minardi, he had to miss a couple of crucial races at the Formula 2000 Hungarian National Championship which cost him the title by six points.[10] One year later, he regained the title[11] and in 2007, he defended his title at the Formula 2000 Hungarian National Championship.[12] He won all of his titles as Formula 2000 Hungarian National champion, except his last one in 2009,[13] with Laszlo Szasz's racing team.

Racing record

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Formula 2000 Hungarian National Championship

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Year Team Car Motor Position Points
2002 Szasz Motorsport Coloni CN-98 2 72
2003 Szasz Motorsport Coloni CN-98 1 142.5
2004 Szasz Racing Team Coloni CN-98 1 196
2005 Szasz Racing Team Coloni CN-98 2 78
2006 Szasz Motorsport Coloni Nissan Dallara-AER 1 98
2007 Szasz Motorsport Coloni Nissan Dallara-AER 1 198
2008 Fonix Motorsport Nissan WRL 4 66
2009 Fonix Motorsport Formula Master Formula-BMW 1 112.5
2010 Fonix Motorsport Formula Master 3 44
2011 Fonix Motorsport Formula Master 5 26
2013 G-Kart Team Formula Master 5 45
2014 G-Kart Team Tatuus Honda 8 25

Complete International Formula 3000 results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DC Points
2004 Coloni Motorsport IMO CAT MON NUR MAG SIL HOC HUN
Ret
SPA
Ret
MNZ
12
22nd[14] 0
Sources:[15][16]

Complete Formula One participations

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(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 WDC Points
2005 Minardi Cosworth Minardi PS05 Cosworth V10 AUS MAL BHR SMR ESP MON EUR CAN USA FRA GBR GER HUN
TD
TUR ITA BEL BRA JPN CHN
Sources:[16][17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Béke, egészség és több lóerő a Minardinak". index.hu. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  2. ^ Lewis, Ori. "F1 news: Minardi Sign Nissany as Test Driver". AUTOSPORT.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Roy Nissany joining Muecke Motorsport". roynissany.com. 13 February 2010. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2004-09-30. Retrieved 2014-12-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Magyar Nemzeti Autósport Szövetség" (PDF). www.mnasz.hu. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Raikkonen leads, Nissany debuts at Silverstone". formula1.com. 15 July 2004. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008.
  7. ^ "Minardi sign Nissany as test driver". formula1.com. 2 February 2005. Archived from the original on 9 July 2008.
  8. ^ Edmondson, Laurence (February 5, 2010). "Drivers who failed to make the grade". ESPN. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  9. ^ Thorn, Dan. "Remembering Chanoch Nissany's hilariously bad one-off practice session in Hungary". wtf1.com. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Magyar Nemzeti Autósport Szövetség" (PDF). www.mnasz.hu. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  11. ^ "Magyar Nemzeti Autósport Szövetség" (PDF). www.mnasz.hu. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  12. ^ "Magyar Nemzeti Autósport Szövetség" (PDF). www.mnasz.hu. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  13. ^ "Magyar Köztársaság" (PDF). www.mnasz.hu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  14. ^ 2004 FIA Formula 3000 International Championship classifications Archived April 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from www.fia.com on May 27, 2010
  15. ^ "Chanoch Nissany Results". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Chanoch Nissany". Motor Sport. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  17. ^ "Chanoch Nissany – Involvement". StatsF1. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
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