Nico Varrone

Nico Varrone Bio

Nicolás Martín Varrone, known professionally as Nico Varrone, is an Argentine racing driver born on 6 December 2000 in Ingeniero Maschwitz, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship, racing the No. 33 entry for Proton Competition in the 2025 season. Varrone first gained international attention as the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship titleholder in the LMGTE Am class, a championship he won alongside Corvette Racing after capturing the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the same category. He has since expanded his résumé with a Le Mans class victory in LMP2 Pro-Am with AF Corse in 2024, and he is scheduled to move into the Formula 2 Championship with Van Amersfoort Racing in 2026.

Early Life and Background

Varrone was raised in Ingeniero Maschwitz, a community in the greater Buenos Aires province of Argentina. Like many future racing drivers, he began his competitive life in karting, building the reflexes and race craft that would later support his transition to open-wheel machinery. His family supported his early ambitions, and Argentina’s motorsport culture gave him a clear starting point, even if the country’s ladder series offered limited international exposure.

At the end of 2016, Varrone made his car racing debut in the national Formula Renault category in Argentina. He continued in the series during 2017 and finished the year ranked 20th in the standings. Those early campaigns taught him the basics of single-seater racing and prepared him for the next chapter of his career, a move to Europe to chase more competitive machinery and stronger championships.

Path to NASCAR

Varrone’s documented career path has focused on international sports car and open-wheel racing, including Formula Renault, the V de V Challenge Monoplace, BRDC British Formula 3, the Le Mans Cup, the European Le Mans Series, the IMSA SportsCar Championship, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. There is no verified record of his participation in NASCAR national series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, or the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. As a result, his documented professional journey centers on endurance and formula racing rather than stock car competition.

Nico Varrone Career

Early Career (2016-2020)

Varrone launched his car racing career at the close of 2016 in Argentina’s Formula Renault category, returning for a second season in 2017 and ending the year 20th overall. In 2018, he made the leap to Europe, joining the V de V Challenge Monoplace first with Inter Europol Competition and then TS Corse. He dominated the season, scoring six wins from 14 races and claiming the championship, which made him the final titleholder in the history of the series.

The 2019 campaign was more difficult because of limited funding. Varrone still managed to enter three rounds of the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship with Hillspeed and won a reversed-grid race at Spa-Francorchamps. That performance earned him a seat with Chris Dittmann Racing for 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic ended his season after just two events.

Sportscar Breakthrough (2021-2022)

After his British F3 campaign was cut short, Varrone returned to Buenos Aires and briefly considered leaving motorsport for the family business. His manager, Jose Balbiani, connected him with Rinaldi Racing owner Michele Rinaldi, which gave Varrone the chance to test an LMP3 car and contest the final round of the 2020 Le Mans Cup. In 2021, he paired with Alexander Matschull for a full Le Mans Cup season with Rinaldi Racing, and three podium finishes delivered third place overall.

Varrone expanded into North American endurance racing in 2022, debuting at the Six Hours of The Glen in the IMSA SportsCar Championship’s LMP3 class. That same year, he signed with the Canadian team AWA to contest the 2023 IMSA season, setting up his growing reputation as a versatile prototype and GT pilot.

WEC and Le Mans Triumph (2023-2024)

In January 2023, Varrone joined Corvette Racing for the LMGTE Am class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, sharing a Chevrolet Corvette C8.R with Nicky Catsburg and Ben Keating. The partnership produced one of the year’s headline stories. Varrone and his co-drivers won the LMGTE Am class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, then went on to claim the full WEC LMGTE Am title. The campaign featured three race wins and a fastest lap set by Varrone at Le Mans, which led officials to upgrade him to FIA Gold status ahead of 2024.

For 2024, Varrone became a Corvette factory driver and shifted to the GTD class of the IMSA SportsCar Championship with AWA Racing. Mechanical issues in the first two races forced AWA to withdraw from the series, and Varrone quickly secured a new drive with Frikadelli Racing for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, where he set the overall fastest lap. He later joined AF Corse for the closing rounds of the European Le Mans Series and scored a podium at Spa-Francorchamps. He then made his LMP2 debut at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans, partnering Ben Barnicoat and François Perrodo. The trio won the LMP2 Pro-Am subclass, with Varrone extending the overall lead through the night stints, and he followed that with an LMP2 outing at the 6 Hours of The Glen with DragonSpeed.

Proton Competition Era (2025-Present)

In 2025, Varrone stepped up to the premier Hypercar class, taking a full-season drive with the Porsche customer team Proton Competition alongside Neel Jani and Nico Pino. He has credited his long relationship with Proton team manager Christian Ried for the opportunity, noting that the program had been planned for some time. He has also continued to race in IMSA with Corvette Racing in selected Michelin Endurance Cup events, provided the schedules do not clash.

Driving Style and Strengths

Varrone is recognized for his consistency across long stints, a quality that has served him well in multi-class endurance events. His fastest laps at Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps, and the Nürburgring show that he can extract peak performance from a car, while his ability to manage traffic in mixed-class racing has helped him win in LMGTE Am, LMP2 Pro-Am, and Hypercar settings.

Notable Races and Milestones

His signature results include the 2023 LMGTE Am victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 2023 WEC LMGTE Am championship, the 2024 LMP2 Pro-Am win at Le Mans, and the 2024 Nürburgring 24 fastest overall lap. Each of those performances has marked a clear step forward in his career trajectory.

Nico Varrone Career Wins

Varrone’s major career wins span two of the world’s most prestigious endurance events, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship, as well as the V de V Challenge Monoplace title. He has stood on the top step in WEC LMGTE Am competition, in the LMP2 Pro-Am subclass at Le Mans, and in the European Le Mans Series podium positions.

WEC and Le Mans Highlights

In 2023, Varrone won the LMGTE Am class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Corvette Racing and went on to secure the full WEC LMGTE Am championship. In 2024, he added an LMP2 Pro-Am class victory at Le Mans with AF Corse, helping extend the team’s lead through the night. His most recent confirmed WEC campaign is the 2025 Hypercar program with Proton Competition.

Other Wins and Performances

Beyond his endurance success, Varrone captured the 2018 V de V Challenge Monoplace title with six wins, recorded podium finishes in the 2021 Le Mans Cup with Rinaldi Racing, and earned a podium in the 2024 European Le Mans Series at Spa-Francorchamps. He has also added fastest-lap accolades at Le Mans and the Nürburgring 24 Hours to his résumé.

Nico Varrone Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Varrone’s family has supported his motorsport career from his karting years in Argentina, and he briefly considered returning to work in the family business when funding for his 2020 British F3 campaign fell through. His connection to manager Jose Balbiani has been a defining part of his professional story, leading to the Rinaldi Racing test that restarted his career in sportscars.

Personal Life

Varrone keeps his personal life largely private, and there are no confirmed public details about a spouse or children. He is known to split time between Europe and his Argentine roots, and he has spoken openly about his appreciation for the opportunities that have allowed him to race at world-class venues.

2025 Season Performance

Varrone’s 2025 season is centered on his first full Hypercar campaign with Proton Competition in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Sharing the Porsche-powered prototype with Neel Jani and Nico Pino, he is contesting the full WEC schedule while balancing selected Michelin Endurance Cup events with Corvette Racing. The program represents a significant step up from his previous GT and LMP2 work and gives him a chance to race at the front of the global endurance grid.

Earlier in the year, Varrone continued to build on his Le Mans pedigree, including his 2024 LMP2 Pro-Am win, by aiming for stronger overall results in Hypercar. His relationship with Proton team manager Christian Ried and his preparation across prototype and GT machinery have shaped his approach to the season, with consistency and clean execution identified as the main priorities.

With confirmation that he will join Van Amersfoort Racing for the 2026 Formula 2 Championship, Varrone’s 2025 campaign is also a bridge back to single-seater racing. The WEC and IMSA programs give him a full year of top-class endurance mileage before he returns to open-wheel competition, positioning him for a versatile future across formula and sports car racing.