Jann Mardenborough was the third Gt Academy winner, not the first, with Lucas Ordóñez taking the title in 2008. The Gran Turismo film took creative liberties with history, creating fictional characters to dramatize events. Only 22 drivers graduated from Gt Academy program from 2008-2016, with Mardenborough being the biggest success.

While Gran Turismo makes it seem like Jann Mardenborough was the first winner of Gt Academy, it was actually someone else. The 2023 racing movie from PlayStation Productions describes itself as being "based on a true story," but Gran Turismo takes its creative liberties. The film creates a relatable underdog narrative about a gamer with dreams of becoming a professional racer. Nissan marketing executive Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom) simultaneously creates the Gran Turismo Academy to sell the dream of becoming a real race car driver, establishing the player base of the Gran Turismo game as a new Nissan market.

The two storylines align at the perfect time,...