Nico Varrone Bio
Nicolás Martín “Nico” Varrone (born 6 December 2000) is an Argentine racing driver who competes internationally in sports car and endurance racing. He is best known as the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) LMGTE Am class champion and as a class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2025, he stepped up to the Hypercar class with the Porsche customer team Proton Competition, and he is set to return to open-wheel racing in 2026 with Van Amersfoort Racing in the Formula 2 Championship. Varrone drives the No. 33 car and is widely regarded as one of the most promising South American talents in modern endurance motorsport.
Early Life and Background
Nico Varrone was born on 6 December 2000 in Ingeniero Maschwitz, a town in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina. Growing up in a country with a deep passion for motorsport, he was exposed to racing from a young age and began his competitive career in karting. Like many young Argentine drivers, he balanced his early training with the realities of pursuing a motorsport career far from the European racing hubs.
His family supported his ambition to race, and Varrone later spoke about returning home to Buenos Aires during the global pandemic, when he briefly considered leaving racing to work in the family business. The intervention of his manager, José Balbiani, kept his career on track and opened the door to sports car racing in Europe. That pivot ultimately shaped him into an endurance and prototype driver rather than a single-seater specialist.
Path to Professional Racing
Varrone made his car racing debut at the end of 2016 in the national Formula Renault category in Argentina, where he finished 20th in the standings the following year. In 2018, he moved to Europe and joined the V de V Challenge Monoplace, driving first for Inter Europol Competition and then for TS Corse. He dominated the season with six wins from 14 races, claiming the championship and becoming the final title winner in the series’ history.
In 2019, Varrone entered three rounds of the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship with Hillspeed and won the reversed-grid race at Spa-Francorchamps. The result earned him a 2020 seat with Chris Dittmann Racing, but the COVID-19 pandemic cut his season short after just two events. Forced to abandon his British F3 campaign, Varrone returned to Argentina before his sports car break arrived.
Nico Varrone Career
Early Career (2016–2020)
Varrone’s single-seater foundation was built in Formula Renault, the V de V Challenge Monoplace, and British Formula 3. His six-win V de V title in 2018 marked him as a serious talent, while his Spa victory in British F3 in 2019 demonstrated his ability to perform on major international circuits. The pandemic disruption in 2020, however, forced a strategic change of direction toward endurance racing.
That change was made possible by Rinaldi Racing owner Michele Rinaldi, who gave Varrone a test in an LMP3 car. The trial led to an entry in the final round of the 2020 Le Mans Cup, where Varrone showed enough speed to earn a full-season drive with Rinaldi in 2021. Paired with Alexander Matschull, he took three podium finishes and finished third overall in the Le Mans Cup that year.
Sportscar Breakthrough (2022–2023)
In 2022, Varrone made his IMSA SportsCar Championship debut at the Six Hours of The Glen in the LMP3 category, and he then signed with the Canadian team AWA for the 2023 season. In January 2023, he was announced as a driver for Corvette Racing in the LMGTE Am class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, sharing a Chevrolet Corvette C8.R with Nicky Catsburg and Ben Keating.
The 2023 campaign was the defining year of his career to date. Varrone and his co-drivers won their class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and went on to claim the WEC LMGTE Am title. The season included three race wins and a fastest lap set by Varrone at Le Mans, which helped him earn a promotion to the FIA Gold driver ranking ahead of 2024.
Corvette Factory Era (2024)
For 2024, Varrone was named a Corvette factory driver and was set to run the full IMSA GTD class campaign with AWA. After retiring from the opening two races with car issues, AWA and teammate Anthony Mantella withdrew from the series. Varrone quickly secured alternative drives, joining Frikadelli Racing for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, where he set the fastest lap of the race, and AF Corse for the final five rounds of the European Le Mans Series, where he scored a podium at Spa-Francorchamps.
The biggest highlight of his 2024, however, came at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Partnering Ben Barnicoat and gentleman driver François Perrodo in the LMP2 Pro-Am subclass, Varrone helped deliver a class win, taking and extending the overall lead during the night. A week later, he drove an LMP2 entry for DragonSpeed at the 6 Hours of The Glen, continuing his rapid rise in the prototype ranks.
Proton Competition Era (2025)
For 2025, Varrone stepped up to the top Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, joining the Porsche customer team Proton Competition alongside Neel Jani and Nico Pino. He credited Proton team manager Christian Ried and a long-standing relationship with the squad as key to landing the full-season seat. Varrone also continued his Corvette Racing commitments in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, provided the races did not clash with his WEC program.
The Hypercar promotion represents the highest level of sports car competition Varrone has contested, placing him on the same grid as factory efforts from Porsche, Toyota, Ferrari, Peugeot, and Cadillac. His mix of GT and prototype experience, combined with a proven record over long stints, made him a natural fit for the demands of endurance racing at the front of the field.
Driving Style and Strengths
Varrone has built a reputation as a strong endurance racer with the consistency and race craft required for multi-class events. He is comfortable in traffic, capable of managing tire and fuel stints over long runs, and has shown a knack for setting fast laps under pressure, including fastest laps at Le Mans and the Nürburgring 24 Hours. His adaptability across GT, LMP2, and now Hypercar machinery highlights a flexible technical approach that has allowed him to move between manufacturers and team structures.
Notable Races and Milestones
His career-defining results include the 2023 WEC LMGTE Am title with Corvette Racing, the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans class win, the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 Pro-Am class win with AF Corse, the 2024 Nürburgring 24 Hours fastest lap with Frikadelli Racing, and his 2025 promotion to the WEC Hypercar class with Proton Competition. He has also been confirmed for a 2026 move to Formula 2 with Van Amersfoort Racing, marking his return to single-seater competition.
Nico Varrone Career Wins
Varrone’s career victories span karting, single-seaters, and endurance sports cars, with his most significant results coming in prototype and GT racing since 2021. His two 24 Hours of Le Mans class wins, in 2023 and 2024, and his 2023 WEC LMGTE Am championship stand as the headline achievements of his résumé so far.
WEC and Le Mans Highlights
In the FIA World Endurance Championship, Varrone is a confirmed LMGTE Am class champion (2023) with three race wins in the title-winning season. He added a second Le Mans class victory in 2024 in the LMP2 Pro-Am subclass, helping AF Corse to the win despite tricky wet conditions in the closing hours.
Other Wins and Performances
Earlier in his career, Varrone won the 2018 V de V Challenge Monoplace title with six victories from 14 races and a British Formula 3 reversed-grid win at Spa-Francorchamps in 2019. He has also added an ELMS podium at Spa-Francorchamps in 2024 and a Nürburgring 24 Hours fastest lap with Frikadelli Racing the same year.
Nico Varrone Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Varrone comes from an Argentine family based in Ingeniero Maschwitz, Buenos Aires province. He has spoken openly about the importance of his family’s support during his move to Europe and about briefly considering returning to work in the family business when the pandemic halted his British Formula 3 campaign. His manager, José Balbiani, has been a central figure in guiding his career path from Argentina to the international endurance scene.
Personal Life
Publicly available details about Varrone’s personal life are limited, and he has kept his family and relationships private. Much of his focus outside of racing centers on his training and travel between European race circuits and his Argentine home base.
2025 Season Performance
Varrone’s 2025 season is centered on a full FIA World Endurance Championship campaign in the Hypercar class with Proton Competition, driving a Porsche 963 alongside Neel Jani and Nico Pino. The move into Hypercar represents the biggest step of his career, lining him up against works entries from Porsche, Toyota, Ferrari, Peugeot, and Cadillac across the eight-round WEC calendar, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
He has also continued his ties with Corvette Racing, contesting IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds where his WEC schedule allows. The dual program is designed to keep him sharp across both the WEC and IMSA calendars and to maintain his status as a Corvette factory driver alongside his new Hypercar duties.
Looking ahead, Varrone is confirmed to return to single-seater racing in 2026 with Van Amersfoort Racing in the Formula 2 Championship. The F2 seat reflects his long-standing connection to the open-wheel ladder and offers a clear path back to single-seater competition after a successful stretch in endurance racing.