Nico Pino Bio
Nicolás Ignacio Pino Muñoz (born September 21, 2004) is a Chilean racing driver who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Proton Competition. Born in Santiago, Chile, Pino began racing karts at age eight and steadily progressed through formula and prototype categories, establishing himself as one of the most promising young endurance drivers of his generation. His career has been defined by rapid category ascension, a class podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and a growing reputation for composure and adaptability across multi-class international events.
Pino currently drives car number 99 for Proton Competition and holds Chilean nationality. His career since 2021 has spanned karting, Formula 4, Euroformula Open, LMP3, and LMP2 prototype categories across Europe and North America, providing a breadth of experience unusual for a driver in his early twenties.
Early Life and Background
Nicolás Ignacio Pino Muñoz was born on September 21, 2004, in Santiago, Chile, where he developed a passion for motorsport from an early age. He began karting at age eight in his hometown, spending five seasons in the Chilean karting scene that nurtured his foundational racecraft. That domestic grounding in competitive karting gave him the technical base and competitive instinct to pursue racing at the international level.
At age 13, Pino made a significant move by relocating to Europe to compete on the international karting circuit, a transition that required considerable personal maturity and commitment. Racing across European and World karting events exposed him to higher competition standards and a broader range of circuits and conditions, accelerating his development as a young driver. Those years abroad were formative, building the resilience and adaptability that would define his later transitions between racing categories.
Path to NASCAR
After progressing through karting, Pino advanced into single-seater formula racing, beginning with the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship in 2019. In 2020, he joined Argenti Motorsport for the British F4 Championship, gaining structured single-seater experience on circuits across the United Kingdom before departing after four rounds. His time in formula racing, though relatively brief, provided an important bridge toward the prototype and endurance categories that would ultimately define his career trajectory.
Nico Pino Career
Early Career (2019–2022)
Pino’s competitive racing career began in 2019 in the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship, marking his first step beyond karting into a professional single-seater environment. In 2020, he stepped up to the British F4 Championship with Argenti Motorsport, a team recognized for developing young international drivers. He contested four rounds of the series before departing, a decision that opened the door to a new direction in endurance racing.
In late 2021, Pino made his prototype debut with Inter Europol Competition in the final two rounds of the European Le Mans Series, competing in the LMP3 class. That experience proved to be a pivotal turning point. He began 2022 with Inter Europol in the Asian Le Mans Series, finishing seventh in the LMP3 championship alongside Guilherme Oliveira. The full 2022 ELMS season with Inter Europol—partnering Oliveira and Charles Crews in the No. 13 entry—became Pino’s breakout campaign. The team won three consecutive races at Monza, Barcelona, and Spa, mounting a championship charge that ultimately concluded with second place in the standings after a collision and late retirement. Pino also made his first IMSA SportsCar Championship appearance in 2022 with Sean Creech Motorsport, earning a podium finish at Petit Le Mans.
LMP2 and Endurance Breakthrough (2023)
2023 represented Pino’s promotion to the LMP2 category, the highest rung of prototype endurance racing below the top Hypercar class. He began the year in the Asian Le Mans Series with ARC Bratislava, sharing the car with László Tóth and team owner Miro Konôpka. While the campaign was challenging—the entry’s best finish was seventh—it provided essential LMP2 seat time ahead of a broader international program.
That summer, Pino competed in the European Le Mans Series with Duqueine Team alongside René Binder and former WEC and Le Mans champion Neel Jani. The pairing secured two Pro class podium finishes and finished fourth in the ELMS standings. The trio also teamed up at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where they delivered a class podium with a third-place finish—arguably the most prestigious result of Pino’s career to date. Concurrently, Pino contested the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup with Sean Creech Motorsport’s LMP3 program, logging second-place finishes at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the IMSA round at Road America.
Proton Competition Era (2024–Present)
In 2024, Pino made his debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship with United Autosports, competing in the newly introduced LMGT3 category. He also continued in the European Le Mans Series with Nielsen Racing and returned to United Autosports’ Michelin Endurance Cup program in IMSA, filling the seat previously held by Alex Quinn. In April 2024, it was also announced that Pino had joined Stellantis Motorsport, expanding his professional motorsport affiliations. In 2025, Pino competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Proton Competition, driving car number 99.
Driving Style and Strengths
Pino’s primary strengths lie in endurance and prototype racing, where his consistency across long stints and comfort in multi-class traffic have proven decisive. His ability to adapt quickly to varied machinery—from LMP3 and LMP2 prototypes to GT3 cars—reflects a versatile race craft well-suited to endurance formats. Working alongside experienced co-drivers such as Neel Jani has further developed his strategic and race-management instincts, both critical attributes for success in events spanning six to 24 hours.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among Pino’s most significant career results are three consecutive European Le Mans Series victories at Monza, Barcelona, and Spa in 2022, a dominant stretch that nearly delivered a championship. His class podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023 with Duqueine Team represents the pinnacle of his career to date. Additional highlights include a podium at Petit Le Mans in 2022, and second-place finishes at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Road America in 2023, demonstrating his ability to perform at marquee events on both sides of the Atlantic.
Nico Pino Career Wins
European Le Mans Series Highlights
Pino’s most documented race victories came in the 2022 European Le Mans Series LMP3 class, where he and the Inter Europol Competition No. 13 crew won three consecutive races at Monza, Barcelona, and Spa. That winning streak placed Pino at the center of a championship battle that ultimately ended in second place in the teams’ standings. Those three ELMS victories represent the most clearly documented race wins across Pino’s professional career.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the European Le Mans Series, Pino has recorded podium finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023, Petit Le Mans in 2022, and the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Road America in 2023. No additional confirmed race wins are documented across other series entries from the available sources.
Nico Pino 2025 Season Performance
In 2025, Nico Pino competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Proton Competition, driving car number 99. His progression through LMP3 and LMP2 endurance categories—culminating in a Le Mans class podium and three consecutive ELMS race wins—has established him as a reliable and capable prototype driver. Proton Competition’s program across both WEC and IMSA provides Pino with a full-season platform to build on his prior achievements and pursue podium finishes and race wins at the highest levels of international endurance motorsport.