Nico Varrone burst onto the WEC scene in a high-profile drive for Corvette Racing in 2023, the final year of the super-competitive LMGTE formula. A class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, including fastest lap in class, plus three other race victories, paved the way to the title.
A further win the following year at Le Mans, this time in the LMP2 Pro/Am category for AF Corse, plus a win in LMP3 at Daytona put him in good shape heading into 2025, and a global programme that maintains Varrone’s Corvette factory driver status while extending to a contract with Proton Competition’s ‘private’ Hypercar Porsche entry in the FIA WEC.
DSC caught up with the friendly young Argentinian driver just after this year’s first free practice session at Le Mans:
“Session one went well, quite tricky, but it’s about getting a baseline and good to put the laps and kilometers on the tyres, just to feel the balance. But, so far, everything has run smoothly during the test day and today. For now, we will try to improve a little bit in qualifying, but I actually think we’re in a good spot.”
The Porsche has been showing reasonable pace here at Le Mans compared to the first three races, which were disappointing for the 963s, a situation shared by the factory Porsche Penske entries too.
“Yeah, but I think for this one we seem to be okay. I mean, the competition is strong for sure, and the position in practice doesn’t say anything, but I feel like we’re in a better spot than the first few races.”
The 24-year old’s ascendency has been rapid; Le Mans wins in two consecutive years. What has been learned in that short space of time?
“I always say in this sport I feel like you don’t have many chances, budgets are not endless, nor are opportunities. So, for me, basically my whole career has just been a very simple approach: just use every lap, take the most you can from every lap, and try to be faster and somehow to just get better. And every opportunity you have and you take, try to maximise it. Because with so much competition, people and teams have to know what you’re capable of and how your work ethic is.
“Over these last few years, I drove for a lot of people, a lot of teams on different continents. It helped me to get more experience, but also a better network; more people knowing what I can do in a race car, and this has kept me growing every time.”
Natural pace clearly sits well with versatility, and with a programme spanning both the FIA WEC and the IMSA series, Nico is keeping his options open in a peaking global driver market.
“I’m always with the Corvette family, and now I’m the third driver for the three big races in IMSA with Pratt Miller Motorsport as a contract driver. The reason I’m doing the three big races is because they’re, let’s say, manufacturing drivers right now, and there was no space for me to do a full season because they had their line-up, so they gave me the option to do the three big races, which I prioritised because I love being there. It’s a fantastic brand. We have a pretty good time together.
“I also work for them in the simulator, doing some development testing in America. It’s a really nice journey. I meet a lot of people there and have really good friends. So, yeah, I’m doing this race, which I enjoy a lot, and I have the opportunity to be able to be driving in Hypercar, something respectable which I’m grateful for.”
Varrone appears at home and relaxed about graduation to the top class:
“I’m lucky in this period to have driven a lot of cars, from GTs to LMPs, between LMP2, and now Hypercar. For me, for sure, there are some technical things to learn. And every car has a different feel, and you also have to drive it differently here.
“There is a lot of electronics to learn and understand, and you manage those systems to take more performance out of the car. Basically though, what I say is it’s always just four wheels and an engine, so somehow you need to make it go faster around the lap, whatever it is, and whatever the track is.
“I’m enjoying growing my experience – it’s like driving studies: the Porsche Hypercar is not unlike a GT car in, let’s say, those big medium corners here, because it’s heavy, but in the high speed, it feels really nice.
“It’s kind of mixed… getting through the Porsche Curves here compares to an LMP2 car, but it’s super-fast on the straight. Which makes it difficult now, because when you have braking like Mulsanne Corner or the chicanes in the mix here it’s quite tricky to manage the weight slowing down.
“If you see the onboards of the Porsche, there’s always more fighting, more wrestling going on. But every car has its characteristics. So absolutely, learning different techniques every day, every time we went in the car. But, so far, it’s been good. It’s interesting.
“21 cars is a big field. Pace wise, we are looking to be in the top 10 if everything goes well and we don’t make mistakes. There is always chaos here with the weather and everything that happens.
So, for us, staying out of trouble, trying to maximise everything, and not making mistakes… I feel like that’s our aim, to focus on maximising what we have, and then the result is a chance to chase some points. That would be good, take some points. Top 10 in this big race for us as a private effort is the reality at the moment.”
Still managed by his father and close motor racing associates, Varrone seems strategically placed to consider options as they may develop, yet remains humble in his assessment:
“It’s really difficult for me to start to consider what may be next. I’m loving being here and to be driving in Hypercar and all the things that happened through these years. Winning twice here, winning Daytona in an LMP3, being factory contracted by Corvette. Now, driving Hypercar… these are all things I never imagined.
“Even when I was a little kid, my best dream was to live from racing even at a local level. In Argentina, it seemed out of reach, you know, all out of my hands, and I see everything that happened through these years and how it went for me. So, I mean, it’s difficult to say for sure whether I want to develop in Hypercar or whether it’s Indycar, single seaters, whatever…
“I just want to win, hopefully at the top, and I’m open for everything.”
