Few drivers have showcased the seamless versatility and raw talent of Nicklas Nielsen. Born on February 6, 1997, in Hørning, Denmark, Nielsen’s journey from karting success to endurance racing expert is a testament to his innate skill and relentless drive.
Karting
Nielsen’s career began in karting. From the age of seven, his talent was unmistakable. He dominated the Danish karting scene, winning the Danish Cadetti Championship in 2007 and 2008, followed by the National Junior KF5 Championship in 2009. In 2015, he secured 3rd place overall in the CIK-FIA Karting World Championship (KF and KF-Junior), achieving 3 race wins and 8 podium finishes with 8 pole positions, driving a Tony Kart-Vortex-Vega. He was the lead driver of the Tony Kart factory team.
Transition to Formula Racing (2016)
Nielsen’s shift to formula cars in 2016 saw him competing in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship with Neuhauser Racing, where he won the Rookie Championship. Highlights included 3 outright podium finishes (Sachsenring, Red Bull Ring, and Nürburgring), 6 rookie class wins, and 13 top-3 rookie finishes.
Early Dominance in GT Racing
Nielsen completed the Audi Sport TT Cup in 2016, finishing third in the championship. He made a notable appearance during the 2017 Ferrari Challenge Europe at Mugello, winning both races and securing the round win. In 2018, he dominated the Ferrari Challenge Europe Pro Class, clinching the championship with ten wins from fourteen races and finishing on the podium in every race and round.
Ferrari Competizioni GT
Nielsen was announced as an official Ferrari Competizioni GT driver in December 2019.
Excelling in Endurance Racing
2019-2020 Season Review
For the 2019-2020 FIA World Endurance Championship, Nielsen joined AF Corse in the LMGTE Am class, taking the class championship alongside Emmanuel Collard and François Perrodo with 2 wins and 3 additional podiums from 8 races.
In 2020, he competed with AF Corse driving the Ferrari 488 GT3 for 3 rounds in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, with a highlight being 1st place at the 12-hour mark of the 24 Hours of Spa, finishing 5th outright.
Nielsen also made an appearance in the European Le Mans Series in the GTE class, driving with Iron Lynx Motorsport Lab in the Ferrari 488 GTE Evo, finishing 3rd in the Le Mans Cup round.
2021 Season Review
2021 was a significant year for Nielsen, who won the FIA World Endurance Championship in the GTE Am class, including a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
He also won the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup season with Iron Lynx, highlighted by victories in the 6-hour, 12-hour, and 24-hour races of the Total 24 Hours of Spa.
Nielsen participated in his first IMSA rounds, competing with AF Corse in the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
2022 Season Review
In 2022, Nielsen stepped up to the LMP2 category, competing a full season in the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the European Le Mans Series.
With Iron Lynx, he also competed in a complete season of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.
He made one appearance in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in the GTD class for the 24 Hours of Daytona and two appearances in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, finishing 6th at the 24 Hours of Spa and 2nd at the Gulf 12 Hours.
2023 Season Review
In 2023, driving for Formula Racing in the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020, Nielsen competed in the full Asian Le Mans Series GT class, achieving notable results in Dubai and Yas Marina.
He also competed in the European Le Mans Series GTE class, securing a second place at the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. In the Hypercar class, driving for Ferrari AF Corse, Nielsen finished 3rd overall in the FIA World Endurance Championship, with strong performances at the 1000 Miles of Sebring, 6 Hours of Portimão, 6 Hours of Monza, and 8 Hours of Bahrain.
In the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, he finished 8th overall with a win at the 3 Hours of Barcelona.
Nielsen also competed in two IMSA SportsCar Championship rounds in the LMP2 class for AF Corse, with a 3rd place in class at the 24 Hours of Daytona and a 6th in class at the 2023 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.
Current 2024 Racing Season
In 2024, Nielsen is currently competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class for Ferrari AF Corse, with a best result of 3rd place at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
He has completed 2 rounds of the IMSA SportsCar Championship in LMP2 for Richard Mille AF Corse.
In the European Le Mans Series, he is competing in LMGT3 for Formula Racing, with a class win at the 2024 4 Hours of Barcelona.
