Nicklas Nielsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicklas Nielsen
Nielsen in 2023
Nationality	Danish
Born	(1997-02-06) 6 February 1997 (age 28) Hørning, Denmark
FIA World Endurance Championship career
Debut season	2019–20
Current team	Ferrari AF Corse
Racing licence	FIA Silver (until 2019) FIA Gold (2020–2022) FIA Platinum (2023–)
Car no.	50
Wins	7
Podiums	15
Poles	1
Fastest laps	3
Best finish	1st (Overall) in 2024
Championship titles
2021 2021 2019 2018	GTWC Europe Endurance Cup FIA WEC - LMGTE Am ELMS - LMGTE Ferrari Challenge Europe

Nicklas Ganshorn Nielsen, born on February 6, 1997, is a talented Danish racing driver. He currently races for Ferrari AF Corse in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He drives a powerful Ferrari 499P in the top Hypercar class. In 2024, Nicklas achieved a huge victory. He won the famous 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans race with his teammates Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina. This made him the third Danish driver to win this historic event.

Early Racing Days

Starting in Karting

Nicklas Nielsen began his racing journey very early. He started karting when he was just four years old, back in 2001. He competed in many international races and championships. During his karting career, he won ten major titles. This showed his natural talent for racing from a young age.

Moving to Formula Cars

In 2016, Nicklas tried single-seater racing for the first time. He joined the ADAC Formula 4 Championship in Germany. Racing for Neuhauser Racing, he finished 8th overall. He also won the Rookie's championship, which is a special award for new drivers. He earned three podium finishes and set two fastest laps that year.

Nicklas returned to the ADAC championship in 2017 with the US Racing team. He won one race and got three podiums. However, some bad luck, like a team disqualification and a big accident, stopped him from fighting for the championship title.

Sportscar Adventures

Racing GT Cars

Nielsen at the 2019 4 Hours of Silverstone race.

At the end of 2017, Nicklas faced a challenge. He didn't have enough money to continue in single-seater racing. Luckily, he got a chance to race in the final round of the 2017 Ferrari Challenge Europe. This opportunity came from Johnny Laursen, who owned the Formula Racing team. Nicklas had coached Johnny's son, Conrad, in karting.

Nicklas took full advantage of this chance. He won both races at Mugello. This led him to compete in the full 2018 Ferrari Challenge season. He was amazing that year, winning the title with Formula Racing. He took ten victories out of 14 races and was always on the podium. He also won the Finali Mondiali trophy at Monza to end his fantastic season.

In 2019, Nicklas moved up to the LMGTE car category. He raced for Luzich Racing in the 2019 European Le Mans Series. He also joined the 2019–20 FIA World Endurance Championship with AF Corse. In the European Le Mans Series, he helped Ferrari factory driver Alessandro Pier Guidi and amateur Fabien Lavergne win four races. This team won the championship with a race to spare. Nicklas was even named the ELMS Rookie of the Year. In the World Endurance Championship, he raced with François Perrodo and Emmanuel Collard. They finished third in their class at the Le Mans 24 Hours. They went on to win the championship with two wins and five podiums.

By 2021, Nicklas was promoted to a higher driver ranking called FIA Gold. He continued in the WEC's LMGTE Am class with AF Corse. He teamed up with young driver Alessio Rovera and gentleman driver Perrodo again. This trio was incredibly strong. They won early races at Spa and Monza. Nicklas set the fastest lap in both races. They also won their class at the Le Mans 24 Hours, which gave them a big lead in the championship. With another win in Bahrain, Nicklas and his teammates became champions. Nicklas and Perrodo successfully defended their title. In the same year, Nicklas also won the 24 Hours of Spa. This win helped him, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and Côme Ledogar win the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup championship.

Driving Prototype Cars

For the 2022 season, Nicklas started racing prototype cars. These are special cars built just for racing. He competed in the LMP2 category of the WEC and ELMS. He stayed with AF Corse, Rovera, and Perrodo in the Pro-Am subclasses. Their WEC season was very successful. They won four subclass races, and Nicklas even got a pole position at Sebring. This earned them the Pro-Am title. In the ELMS, they finished third in their class, winning one race at Barcelona.

Nielsen, along with Fuoco and Molina, celebrated their 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans victory. They successfully defended Ferrari's crown from the previous year.

In 2023, Nicklas was one of six drivers chosen to race for Ferrari in the new Hypercar category. He drove the Ferrari 499P #50 car with Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina in the WEC. The team showed great speed, with Fuoco getting two pole positions. They finished third in the championship, behind both Toyota teams. They earned podiums in four events. Nicklas's car finished ahead of their sister Ferrari car, even though the other car won the Centenary Le Mans. Nicklas's car had bad luck at Le Mans due to a radiator leak. At the end of 2023, Nicklas signed a new contract to continue with Ferrari.

In 2024, Nicklas continued racing for Ferrari in the WEC. The season started with good finishes in Qatar and Imola. They got a podium at Spa, finishing third after starting from a low position. Nicklas's best moment came at Le Mans. He took the lead early in the race. Later, he had to save fuel to stay in the lead after a pit stop to fix a door. Nicklas managed his car perfectly and crossed the finish line first. This gave him, Fuoco, and Molina their first overall wins at Le Mans. They also helped Ferrari win the Le Mans title for the second year in a row.

Career Highlights

Summary of Achievements

See also

In Spanish: Nicklas Nielsen para niños