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 for Proton Competition in the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship, driving in the Hypercar class alongside Neel Jani and Nico Pino. Varrone is the 2023 WEC champion in the LMGTE Am class, having won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the category with Corvette Racing. He is a two-time class winner at Le Mans, having added an LMP2 Pro-Am victory with AF Corse in 2024.
Across his career, Varrone has competed in karting, junior formulae, and a wide range of sports car series in both Europe and the Americas. He is set to return to open-wheel racing in 2026 with Van Amersfoort Racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
Early Life and Background
Nico Varrone was born and raised in Ingeniero Maschwitz, a town in the greater Buenos Aires area of Argentina. He grew up surrounded by motorsport, and from a young age he showed an interest in racing that pushed him toward competitive karting. The Buenos Aires racing scene gave him his earliest opportunities to develop his craft and compete against other young talents in the country.
His family supported his early career, although specific details about his parents and siblings are not publicly confirmed. As he grew older, Varrone began to set his sights on a professional career in motorsport, eventually moving from local karting events to national single-seater competition in Argentina. His upbringing in the Buenos Aires region helped shape the discipline and determination that would later define his career path.
Path to NASCAR
Varrone’s career has been rooted in international sports car and open-wheel racing rather than the NASCAR ladder system. After early success in Argentine and European junior formulae, he moved into endurance and GT racing, which became the foundation of his professional career. As a result, his path to top-level stock car racing in the United States has not been part of his public record, and any future involvement with NASCAR has not been confirmed.
Nico Varrone Career
Early Career (2016-2020)
Varrone made his car racing debut at the end of 2016 in the national Formula Renault 2.0 Argentina series, where he finished 20th in the standings the following year. In 2018, he moved to Europe to contest the V de V Challenge Monoplace, first driving for Inter Europol Competition before switching to TS Corse. He dominated the series that year, taking six wins from 14 races and claiming the championship, becoming the final champion in the series’ history.
In 2019, Varrone joined Hillspeed for a partial BRDC British Formula 3 campaign, where he won the reversed-grid race at Spa-Francorchamps. He signed with Chris Dittmann Racing for the 2020 season, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to abandon the season after the opening pair of events. With funding for open-wheel racing running out, Varrone returned home to Buenos Aires and began considering a transition to sports car racing.
Sports Car Breakthrough (2021-2023)
After connecting with Rinaldi Racing team owner Michele Rinaldi through manager Jose Balbiani, Varrone tested an LMP3 car and joined the final round of the 2021 Le Mans Cup. In 2022, he made his IMSA SportsCar Championship debut at the Six Hours of The Glen in the LMP3 class and also signed with Canadian team AWA for 2023.
In January 2023, Varrone joined Corvette Racing to contest the LMGTE Am class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, driving a Chevrolet Corvette C8.R alongside Nicky Catsburg and Ben Keating. The trio delivered a championship-winning campaign, claiming three race wins and the class title. Their partnership produced one of the highlights of the year when they won the LMGTE Am class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Varrone setting the fastest lap in class during the event. His performances earned him an upgrade to FIA Gold driver ranking ahead of 2024.
Proton Competition Era (2025-Present)
For 2025, Varrone stepped up to the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship with Porsche customer team Proton Competition, partnering Neel Jani and Nico Pino for a full-season drive. He cited his long-standing relationship with Proton team manager Christian Ried as a key reason for joining the program. Varrone also continued to race with Corvette Racing in the Michelin Endurance Cup within the IMSA SportsCar Championship, provided schedules did not clash with his WEC commitments.
Driving Style and Strengths
Varrone is known for his adaptability across prototypes and GT machinery, having produced strong results in LMP3, LMGTE Am, and LMP2 machinery within just a few seasons. His capacity to deliver fast, consistent stints in changing conditions was evident at Le Mans in both 2023 and 2024, where he took and extended class leads during night running. Working alongside experienced teammates such as Ben Keating and François Perrodo has helped him refine his race craft and endurance pacing.
Notable Races and Milestones
Two signature moments define Varrone’s career so far: his LMGTE Am victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023 and his LMP2 Pro-Am win at Le Mans in 2024 with AF Corse. He also set the fastest overall lap at the 2024 24 Hours of Nürburgring with Frikadelli Racing. Earlier, his dominant 2018 V de V Challenge Monoplace title and his reversed-grid win at Spa-Francorchamps in BRDC British Formula 3 marked him as a rising talent in junior formulae.
Nico Varrone Career Wins
Nico Varrone has built a diverse list of victories across prototype and GT categories, with class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans forming the centerpiece of his résumé. His results have come in a short but intense period, transitioning from junior formulae into professional endurance racing from 2021 onward.
Endurance Racing Highlights
Varrone’s standout achievements include the 2023 LMGTE Am class title in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Corvette Racing, accompanied by three race wins that season. He followed this with a 2024 LMP2 Pro-Am class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Ben Barnicoat and François Perrodo, and he also scored a podium in the European Le Mans Series at Spa-Francorchamps. His most recent Le Mans start before the 2025 WEC campaign reinforced his reputation as a reliable endurance performer.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside of WEC and Le Mans, Varrone’s most significant result was the 2018 V de V Challenge Monoplace championship, which he won as a rookie with six victories. He also took a reversed-grid win at Spa-Francorchamps in BRDC British Formula 3 in 2019, and finished third overall in the 2021 Le Mans Cup LMP3 standings with Rinaldi Racing.
Nico Varrone Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Varrone comes from a family based in the Buenos Aires region of Argentina, and his early racing was supported by relatives as he moved from karting into single-seater competition. Manager Jose Balbiani played a pivotal role in connecting him to Rinaldi Racing in Europe, which helped launch his sports car career. Details about his parents, siblings, or any prior racing lineage in the family have not been publicly confirmed.
Personal Life
Varrone is known publicly for his motorsport career rather than his private life. Publicly available information about his marital status, spouse, or children has not been confirmed. He is represented across social media and continues to be based between Europe and Argentina as his racing schedule requires.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marks a major step in Varrone’s career, as he has moved to the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship with Proton Competition. He is paired with experienced Porsche factory driver Neel Jani and fellow Argentine Nico Pino, giving the line-up a balance of endurance pedigree and rising talent. The program is run as a Porsche customer effort, with Christian Ried managing the team from the pit box.
Alongside his WEC duties, Varrone has continued to support Corvette Racing in IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events where schedules permit, maintaining his relationship with the Corvette factory program. The combination of a full Hypercar campaign in WEC and selected IMSA outings gives him one of the most demanding schedules of his career. With a confirmed Formula 2 drive at Van Amersfoort Racing awaiting him in 2026, the 2025 season represents a pivotal bridge between endurance racing and his return to open-wheel competition.