Nicklas Nielsen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nicklas Nielsen |
|
|---|---|
Nielsen in 2023
|
|
| Nationality |  Danish |
| Born | 6 February 1997 Hørning, Denmark |
| FIA World Endurance Championship career | |
| Debut season | 2019–20 |
| Current team | Ferrari AF Corse |
| Racing licence |  FIA Platinum |
| Car no. | 50 |
| Wins | 7 |
| Podiums | 15 |
| Poles | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 3 |
| Best finish | 1st (LMGTE Am) in 2021 |
| Championship titles | |
| 2021 2021 2019 2018 |
GTWC Europe Endurance Cup FIA WEC - LMGTE Am ELMS - LMGTE Ferrari Challenge Europe |
Nicklas Ganshorn Nielsen (born 6 February 1997) is a professional race car driver from Denmark. He races for Ferrari AF Corse in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He drives a special car called a Ferrari 499P in the top "Hypercar" class. In 2024, Nicklas won the famous 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans race with his teammates Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina. He is only the third Danish driver to ever win this huge race!
Contents
Early career
Karting beginnings
Nicklas Nielsen started racing go-karts when he was just four years old in 2001. He was very good at it! He competed in many big races around the world. He won ten major titles in karting, showing he had a lot of talent from a young age.
Racing in single-seater cars
In 2016, Nicklas moved up to racing "single-seater" cars. These are open-wheel cars, like mini Formula 1 cars. He joined the ADAC Formula 4 Championship in Germany. He finished 8th overall and won the "Rookie's championship" for new drivers. He also got on the podium three times and had two fastest laps.
He raced in the ADAC championship again in 2017. He won one race and got three podium finishes. However, some bad luck, like his team being disqualified from one event and a big crash in another, stopped him from fighting for the championship title.
Sportscar career
GT racing success
At the end of 2017, Nicklas didn't have enough money to keep racing single-seater cars. But he got a great chance to try out "sportscar" racing. He joined the final race of the 2017 Ferrari Challenge Europe. This was thanks to Johnny Laursen, who owned the Formula Racing team. Nicklas had coached Johnny's son, Conrad, in karting. Nicklas took this chance and won both races at Mugello!
This amazing start led him to race the full 2018 Ferrari Challenge season. He was incredible, winning the championship with ten victories out of 14 races. He was always on the podium! He also won the Finali Mondiali trophy at Monza that year.
In 2019, Nicklas moved to the LMGTE category. He raced for Luzich Racing in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). He also joined the 2019–20 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with AF Corse. In the ELMS, he and his teammates won four races. This helped them win the championship early. Nicklas was even named "ELMS Rookie of the Year." In the WEC, he finished third at the Le Mans 24 Hours. He and his team went on to win the WEC title with two wins and five podiums.
In 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 and his teammates were very strong, winning races at Spa and Monza. Nicklas set the fastest lap in both races. They then 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 team became champions again! That same year, Nicklas also won the 24 Hours of Spa race. This helped him and his teammates win the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup championship.
Moving to prototype racing
For the 2022 season, Nicklas started racing "prototype" cars. These are even faster, purpose-built racing cars. He competed in the LMP2 category of the WEC and ELMS. He stayed with AF Corse. In the WEC, he and his teammates won four races in their class. Nicklas also got a pole position at Sebring. They won the Pro-Am title in the WEC. In the ELMS, they won one race but just missed out on the championship.
In 2023, Nicklas was one of six drivers chosen to race for Ferrari in the new Hypercar category. This is the top class of endurance racing. He drove the Ferrari 499P car number 50 with Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina. The team showed great speed, getting two pole positions. They finished third in the championship, behind the Toyota teams. Nicklas's car finished ahead of their sister Ferrari car, even though the other Ferrari won the Le Mans 24 Hours that year. Nicklas's car had bad luck at Le Mans with a radiator leak. At the end of 2023, Nicklas signed a new contract to stay with Ferrari.
.jpg)
In 2024, Nicklas continued racing for Ferrari in the WEC. The season started with good finishes in Qatar and Imola. They got on the podium at Spa, finishing third after starting from the back. Nicklas's biggest moment came at Le Mans. He took the lead early in the race. Later, during his final turn driving, his car had a small problem with a door. This meant they had to use a different strategy for fuel. Nicklas had to save fuel carefully to stay in the lead. He managed it perfectly and crossed the finish line first! This amazing win gave him, Fuoco, and Molina their first overall victory at Le Mans. It also meant Ferrari won the Le Mans race for the second year in a row.
Images for kids
-
Nielsen at the 2019 4 Hours of Silverstone
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Nicklas Nielsen para niños
